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First off, hi all. i am a common android rom/app developer who is looking to get a new device to flash and flash non-stop
well, i will be getting the nexus 7 in aproximately 1 month..
i had been searching for long for a good tablet and this one looked amazing, it's high resolution in just 7" inch looks like the best hd tablet. and its quadcore 1.5 GHZ qualcomm processor with the amazing 2 GB ram looks pretty good..
i need opinions from you guys, owners of the nexus 7 2013.
well, lets get started,.
A) is this a good gaming tablet? good graphics? low / high frames?
B) as this is a newly device, i am amazed to become a developer for this, but.. should i? i mean, there arent many tools for nexus 7 and i only know C++ coding, should i get this or an elder tablet with a strong community (as this is xda-developers)?
C) wich are the advantages of having a nexus device? i mean, wich makes it superior than touchwiz or xperia?
D) does the battery last for long? the HD and the processor makes me thing the battery drain is high. but, you are the owner of the tablet, you tell me.
please sorry me for the bad english..
hope you can help me.. thanks in advance guys. :good:
A) is this a good gaming tablet? good graphics? low / high frames?
Not sure, I haven't done much gaming on it so I can't really tell.
B) as this is a newly device, i am amazed to become a developer for this, but.. should i? i mean, there arent many tools for nexus 7 and i only know C++ coding, should i get this or an elder tablet with a strong community (as this is xda-developers)?
I'm not a developer so I can't answer. Although I always read Nexus devices are very developer friendly.
C) wich are the advantages of having a nexus device? i mean, wich makes it superior than touchwiz or xperia?
You get Google updates immediately with Nexus devices. On Touchwiz, Xperia, or Sense, you have to wait until Samsung, Sony, or HTC make their own version of the updates and apply it to their own version of Android.
This can take several months. Which is why some people prefer Nexus devices.
D) does the battery last for long? the HD and the processor makes me thing the battery drain is high. but, you are the owner of the tablet, you tell me.
It depends on the user and tweaks the user applies. I'm stock rooted and I usually get 24-26hrs of standby time and 8hrs of screen time. I'm sure with a different kernal I could get a lot more if I wanted.
It's a great device. I've had it for a week and half, I've had absolutely no issues with it. I purchased the 32gb version and I have no regrets.
Good luck with your developing.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
I've been having a few problems with my tablet lately, namely software bugs (I made a post about this earlier) like ghost clicks that occur in the far corners, and crashes to reboot or apps simply not launching.
Apart from that however, the tablet seems to function exceptionally. The screen is nice but the black levels leave something to be desired, color reproduction is pretty good too. (and obviously resolution is second to none at this moment for 7" tablets)
IXChicharitoXI said:
A) is this a good gaming tablet? good graphics? low / high frames?
Not sure, I haven't done much gaming on it so I can't really tell.
B) as this is a newly device, i am amazed to become a developer for this, but.. should i? i mean, there arent many tools for nexus 7 and i only know C++ coding, should i get this or an elder tablet with a strong community (as this is xda-developers)?
I'm not a developer so I can't answer. Although I always read Nexus devices are very developer friendly.
C) wich are the advantages of having a nexus device? i mean, wich makes it superior than touchwiz or xperia?
You get Google updates immediately with Nexus devices. On Touchwiz, Xperia, or Sense, you have to wait until Samsung, Sony, or HTC make their own version of the updates and apply it to their own version of Android.
This can take several months. Which is why some people prefer Nexus devices.
D) does the battery last for long? the HD and the processor makes me thing the battery drain is high. but, you are the owner of the tablet, you tell me.
It depends on the user and tweaks the user applies. I'm stock rooted and I usually get 24-26hrs of standby time and 8hrs of screen time. I'm sure with a different kernal I could get a lot more if I wanted.
It's a great device. I've had it for a week and half, I've had absolutely no issues with it. I purchased the 32gb version and I have no regrets.
Good luck with your developing.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
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thanks for your answer, i am 100% sure i will get this device i just saw a few threads, there is already root-tutorial and with roms working, so when i get it i will give a try.
will be strange to develop for unlocked bl roms since with mi phone i can only develop locked roms. i will try to port ubuntu touch for this tablet.
A) I've been playing games like Le Vamp and I've noticed no slowdowns. thing is though, I use it mainly for reading, books, textbooks, comics, so now much experience on the gaming front.
B) sounds like a personal choice to me
C) once again, personal choice
D) with about 1-2 hours of reading a day, it lasts me about 5 days before the battery is completely dead.
Nachospeicys said:
thanks for your answer, i am 100% sure i will get this device i just saw a few threads, there is already root-tutorial and with roms working, so when i get it i will give a try.
will be strange to develop for unlocked bl roms since with mi phone i can only develop locked roms. i will try to port ubuntu touch for this tablet.
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Just got this device. Was very curious to see if Ubuntu Touch is/will be supported on it. I'm definitely interested if you get this going.
I'll keep my hopes up. It's a Nexus after all.
A. I don't game, but I hear it's got a great GPU, so I believe it should be really nice for gaming.
B. No idea what you mean.
C. Stock Android seems smoother, less cluttered, and less confusing. Nexus devices will be the first to get new Android updates.
D. Battery life seems really good, I easily get through a day on a charge. Idle battery life is good for Android (never met an Android tablet that is as good as my iPad). Though Google Services seems to spend a lot of time waking up my tablet when it should be sleeping. I loose about 3% battery life an hour which seems a bit high, even for Android. I don't think everyone has this problem and it may be related to rooting or something. I've been too lazy to factory reset to troubleshoot the problem though. Even with the idle drain, the battery life overall is still pretty good.
I've been really happy with my Nexus 7, other than a little issue with idle battery drain from Google Services, I've not had any other issues. The build quality is much better this time. I've not had a single random reboot. And I'm not even sure what the multi-touch issues are about since I've not noticed anything odd on mine. The screen looks great, the colors are calibrated. The speakers sounds really good. Pretty much everything is positive.
Nachospeicys said:
B) as this is a newly device, i am amazed to become a developer for this, but.. should i? i mean, there arent many tools for nexus 7 and i only know C++ coding, should i get this or an elder tablet with a strong community (as this is xda-developers)?
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Click to collapse
It's Android, the standard development toolchain for all other Android devices work fine on it and it's pretty mature and well supported. If you're a C++ dev you may want to get onto the NDK but frankly Java isn't exactly a massive leap to work with and unless you're massively processor-bound or planning to port widely I think you're better off just using the basic Java SDK until you get up to speed on the OS.
Simple answer : read through this before purchasing...
https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/mobile/mG4JXaT-SHs[451-475-false]
If, after reading the 460+ posts you're feeling lucky (as the vast majority of owners are) go ahead and purchase.
Just be sure to purchase from a place that has the best return/exchange policy.
I speak from unfortunate first hand experience....
A) is this a good gaming tablet? good graphics? low / high frames?
Oh, yeah. It's perfect for gaming, I've thrown all the games I got at this thing and it runs them at full speed in 1080p. Performance is superb.
B) as this is a newly device, i am amazed to become a developer for this, but.. should i? i mean, there arent many tools for nexus 7 and i only know C++ coding, should i get this or an elder tablet with a strong community (as this is xda-developers)?
Get this one, for the horsepower, these are selling a lot right now and the community will grow quick like it did with the S4
C) wich are the advantages of having a nexus device? i mean, wich makes it superior than touchwiz or xperia?
This is my first nexus device, and what I like about it is that there is no bloat ware, it feels faster software wise and lighter. It starts up quickly and the performance is amazing. Updates are quick too, no need to wait for the slow updates from the carriers.
D) does the battery last for long? the HD and the processor makes me thing the battery drain is high. but, you are the owner of the tablet, you tell me.
I'm getting about 11 to 12 hours on a single charge, but that's different for everybody, it depends on the user
The Kindle Fire HD 2 will be a major 7 inch tablet contender. I'm looking forward to what it will bring with the redesign, Snapdragon 800 CPU and ROMs that will take advantage of it.
No regrets here in the purchase of the Nexus 7 2013. I was using a Lenovo A2107 and the speed difference is remarkable. It seems that the Nexus for $229 is a great deal, fully supported by Google (who will rule the world in the future) and it performs almost perfectly out of the box. It has many options built in like Qi charging, Bluetooth mouse/keyboard support in addition to BT audio. Great for Netflix. The WiFi is great, picks up weak signals that work fairly well. All in all, a very solid purchase. My Poetic Slimline case arrives tomorrow, looking forward to it to protect the glass since I don't like thick screen protector films. The screen glass seems somehow to not get all greased up like the old Lenovo. I'm very pleased with this inexpensive device. I spent over $1000 building a Windows desktop for work but I find myself using the Nexus for email, some browsing, and apps like timer, alarm clock, as well as watching movies. One drawback - lack of a SD socket - is overcome by using several online "cloud" free storage as long as WiFi is available - which in this town is everywhere....
Rob
robk2544 said:
One drawback - lack of a SD socket - is overcome by using several online "cloud" free storage as long as WiFi is available - which in this town is everywhere...
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This can be mitigated somewhat by using an OTG cable plus a portable SD reader (or just a plain 'ol USB flash drive). Admittedly it is not QUITE as convenient as having a built in slot, but you can still easily put all your media/documents on it and not chew up space on the emulated SD drive.
PJ Clifford said:
This can be mitigated somewhat by using an OTG cable plus a portable SD reader (or just a plain 'ol USB flash drive). Admittedly it is not QUITE as convenient as having a built in slot, but you can still easily put all your media/documents on it and not chew up space on the emulated SD drive.
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Yeah, kinda clumsy but definitely a solution. I'm just so used to SD slots back from the Palm T|X days. Have you seen the little one by meenova.com ? Small but I'd hate to snap it off by accident.
Rob
robk2544 said:
Yeah, kinda clumsy but definitely a solution. I'm just so used to SD slots back from the Palm T|X days. Have you seen the little one by meenova.com ? Small but I'd hate to snap it off by accident.
Rob
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Yeah, I can't see the reason for not including at least a MicroSD slot. The hardware cost would be minimal. Of course, I've not opened one up, so it may just be out of real estate on the inside. Google does seen to eschew them.
Yup, saw those. I would consider it, but the only form of payment they take is credit cards, which I can't do for the moment. I'm not sure that I don't prefer a short OTG cable anyway. While it dangles, it seems to be much harder to snap one off as most of the bulk is at the other end of the cable.
PJ Clifford said:
I'm not sure that I don't prefer a short OTG cable anyway. While it dangles, it seems to be much harder to snap one off as most of the bulk is at the other end of the cable.
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I see your point. The little meenova one just looks like it would be fragile and possibly damage the micro-usb socket on the tablet if you bump it. I'll probably go with a short cable - then I can use SD or sticks, with an adapter.
As this is my first tablet I can not compare to other ones. But to answer your questions
A) Gaming is great. Loads games fast. Compared to my Galaxy Nexus. Graphics and Display are great.
B) I am not a developer so I can not answer this.
C) I love close to vanilla android. I do root my devices and usually run CM.
D) Battery is great for me. I watched the hobbit the other day and went from 100% to just 90%. That is only 10% in a almost 3 hour movie. Gaming also gives me close the same battery type life.
Thanks guys, i got lots of answers, that means this is an active & friendly space, wich makes me happy.
i will use this for gaming,reading and waching movies in high definiton, also anyone has tried the HDMI ?
Nachospeicys said:
Thanks guys, i got lots of answers, that means this is an active & friendly space, wich makes me happy.
i will use this for gaming,reading and waching movies in high definiton, also anyone has tried the HDMI ?
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The only downside I have with the device is the glare on the screen. I have not tried the HDMI but want to know how good it works.
No regrets here.
Sent from my Nexus 7 (2013)
hey guys, wanna buy the new nexus 7.
just want to ask the "nerds" how they think about their device. can u advice it other people. just read about a few bugs on amazon, just need a few impressions if those bugs are still existing, at least i am going to flash a custom rom xD
is the multitouch bug software or hadware related or even already solved?
read about noisy backspeaker when low volume. are this general existing bugs or just some people which had no luck to get a good n7?
thx in advance
L-ViZ said:
hey guys, wanna buy the new nexus 7.
just want to ask the "nerds" how they think about their device. can u advice it other people. just read about a few bugs on amazon, just need a few impressions if those bugs are still existing, at least i am going to flash a custom rom xD
is the multitouch bug software or hadware related or even already solved?
read about noisy backspeaker when low volume. are this general existing bugs or just some people which had no luck to get a good n7?
thx in advance
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I love, love, love mine! Both the 16gb Wi-Fi and the LTE model I just bought. (Dad will get the Wi-Fi model now that i have the LTE version.) Both are stock unrooted with no chrome beta app installed. And zero issues on either one. The WiFi model had a GPS issue which has been fixed with a software update and it has been very solid since. I have had no freezes or reboots (except once when I plugged in a micro SD card reader device, probably related to the Nexus media importer app.) I haven't seen the multi touch issue, not sure exactly how that shows up. It could be that my usage is different. I suggest you buy it from a vendor that allows you to return or exchange it and try it for yourself with no risk.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
kisrita said:
I love, love, love mine! Both the 16gb Wi-Fi and the LTE model I just bought. (Dad will get the Wi-Fi model now that i have the LTE version.) Both are stock unrooted with no chrome beta app installed. And zero issues on either one. The WiFi model had a GPS issue which has been fixed with a software update and it has been very solid since. I have had no freezes or reboots (except once when I plugged in a micro SD card reader device, probably related to the Nexus media importer app.) I haven't seen the multi touch issue, not sure exactly how that shows up. It could be that my usage is different. I suggest you buy it from a vendor that allows you to return or exchange it and try it for yourself with no risk.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
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that's what i wanted to hear
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
You may want to check this out...
On Google's own forums...
https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/nexus/mG4JXaT-SHs[726-750-false]
Another 7" tablet to consider is the Kindle Fire HD 2 which will have better hardware including the Snapdragon 800 CPU.
Username invalid said:
Another 7" tablet to consider is the Kindle Fire HD 2 which will have better hardware including the Snapdragon 800 CPU.
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I read somewhere although cpu on our new nexus s4 pro but something is very similar to the s600 CPU also kindle will lack NFC wireless charging and most important system update
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
big_b0sss said:
I read somewhere although cpu on our new nexus s4 pro but something is very similar to the s600 CPU also kindle will lack NFC wireless charging and most important system update
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
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With the better hardware, hopefully more ROM developers will be on board to take full advantage of it.
I would hold off until Google make another official announcement about either of the touch/sound issue.
However, It is a great tablet, way snappier than any of the Samsung tabs in my opinion.
Also the other plus side is the new KitKat update for Android that Google is unveiling around Oct. probably will be pushed out to Nexus devices shortly after.
FluffyR said:
I would hold off until Google make another official announcement about either of the touch/sound issue.
However, It is a great tablet, way snappier than any of the Samsung tabs in my opinion.
Also the other plus side is the new KitKat update for Android that Google is unveiling around Oct. probably will be pushed out to Nexus devices shortly after.
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I have no problems with my touch or sound or GPS. My tablet is perfect. Only had it for about 2 weeks not but so far so good. Absolutely LOVE it. I sold my Galaxy Note 8.0 to buy this and i dont regret it one bit.I miss not having a MicroSD slot but that is going to be fixed by buying a Seagate 1tb wireless hard drive.
Same here, no problems at all :victory:
(32GB Wifi version)
.
I have it since Friday and I just love it. Over the weekend I've been using it very extensively and have found no issues at all. It's fast, smooth, the screen is great (so much so that I'm looking at my various other displays quite differently now - everything seems blocky and pixelated).
If you're in for a small tablet, it's hard getting around this one.
The LG G Pad 8.3 looks interesting too, but I much prefer having a device that will be updated with new Android versions for the coming years.
very happy with the new nexus 7
got it since 1 week, and traveled already 1/3 around the world.
I just found a little hiss sound on top speaker at low volume. i didn't not notice it before.
everything is much better than the previous nexus 7.
yay, a lot of positive feedback hope there will be good customroms hopefully psx will be available as stable. already using it on my maguro
My first one had a speaker issue. Replaced and current one has no issues at all besides what i considered "low volume" from the speakers. I have since fixed that via Faux Sound.
32gb owner here, love it. Does everything very well. Fast, fluid, no touch issues, running PA and runs like a charm. Using it on a daily basis. Love customising it as with any android products.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2
Username invalid said:
With the better hardware, hopefully more ROM developers will be on board to take full advantage of it.
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Kindle will never have the support the Nexus devices have.
Go N7II
xbs said:
Kindle will never have the support the Nexus devices have.
Go N7II
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We will see on how it compares.
After 3 weeks of use I love this thing. Working out as GPS really well too. Love it~
Love my 32GB Wifi (I share my phone as a hotspot and work pays for data so I wasn't going to get a LTE version, especially as my phone connects via LTE).
The first difference was to be noticed was the screen. The colour and sharpness are truly outstanding, you don't even need to have the two next to each other to appreciate it. Also apps and settings load faster and close faster as well as opening the task browser, no doubt the extra memory and CPU grunt at play. The sound from the speakers is a lot better, clearer and louder and stereo is noticeable but to avoid covering the speakers I either pinch the top or bottom in the middle or cup my hand around the speakers. I used to hold the end that did not have speakers but now that there is speakers at either end that you don't want to block with your hand so I would recommend holding one is store to make sure you can be comfortable with it and not block the speakers.
When I first got it I downloaded the latest TWRP Recovery mode (2.6.2), when coupled with the latest 4.3 update from Google with the latest patches built in the OS would not boot, it would stay at the coloured X loading screen permanently. I used an earlier versions of TWRP (2.6.0) with the same OS and it was fine- it may have been something I did and not the same for everyone but if anyone has the same issue try using the earlier version. Once this was complete and the device rooted I have not had a single problem.
The screen resolution truly is something to behold- HD movies look great as do games, especially cartoon style graphics, due to the brilliant colour reproduction. Even books and webpages with smooth letters, no jaggies, look fantastic. The rear camera, should I ever use it takes pictures that are not quite as good as with HTC One but a heap better the front camera on either device. I can't see myself using it much- maybe to show something while on Skype- but at least it is decent.
I do miss the textured back of the original model, it had some grip but the new one is smooth, a little too smooth, with the only grip coming from the Nexus logo with is indented. Also, the USB plug is still upside-down but the same occurs on the HTC One so at least they are the same.
Lastly, the headphone jack is on the top so if you are charging and have headphones on at the same time you will have cables coming out either end. This bugs me a bit but I’ll get over it.
not bad
If you have the original Nexus 7 you might not see much of a difference. Of course things have improved but in my opinion its pretty minor. I currently have an issue with the heat it puts out when playing certain games but even without this it's not much different than the original one. If you never owned a Nexus 7 then I highly recommend it. For browsing the web, watching youtube videos its the best. I hardly ever open my laptop since buying one.
I am in the market of purchasing my first Nexus device and have been looking at the Nexus 7 (2013) model but have concerns. After doing a lot of research about the various problems with the Nexus 7 the ones in particular that caught my attention are the touch screen issues, random reboots (this one is my biggest concern) and gps issues. How widespread are these issues? What is the likelihood I'll get unlucky and get a "bad" Nexus 7 tablet? I've read in various places people getting 2-4 replacements and still having the same problems. Is this isolated to a minority of people or do most Nexus 7 (2013) tablets have these issues? Is it a rare event to find a 100% functional Nexus 7? Should I wait until after the holiday season when new batches are made and hopefully have been fixed? Should I buy it all?
I have been itching to get a Nexus device for awhile. I currently own a Galaxy sIII on Verizons network and hate the fact Verizon delays android updates so I am looking to jump ship to a pre-paid plan in the future and more than likely going with a Nexus phone but want to experience a Nexus device (Nexus 7) before doing so. My contract is not up until July of 2014. I am at a point where either its Nexus or Apple. I like to be current on updates. Any help/insight would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
drummer132132 said:
I am in the market of purchasing my first Nexus device and have been looking at the Nexus 7 (2013) model but have concerns. After doing a lot of research about the various problems with the Nexus 7 the ones in particular that caught my attention are the touch screen issues, random reboots (this one is my biggest concern) and gps issues. How widespread are these issues? What is the likelihood I'll get unlucky and get a "bad" Nexus 7 tablet? I've read in various places people getting 2-4 replacements and still having the same problems. Is this isolated to a minority of people or do most Nexus 7 (2013) tablets have these issues? Is it a rare event to find a 100% functional Nexus 7? Should I wait until after the holiday season when new batches are made and hopefully have been fixed? Should I buy it all?
I have been itching to get a Nexus device for awhile. I currently own a Galaxy sIII on Verizons network and hate the fact Verizon delays android updates so I am looking to jump ship to a pre-paid plan in the future and more than likely going with a Nexus phone but want to experience a Nexus device (Nexus 7) before doing so. My contract is not up until July of 2014. I am at a point where either its Nexus or Apple. I like to be current on updates. Any help/insight would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
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Click to collapse
I can't speak for others, but my Nexus tablet had no major problems. The only problem I experienced was that I could't install the second update, but I was going to root it anyway so I just flashed a stock version and have had no problems since. Even for those who had problems, there have been updates that fixed the GPS, multi-touch etc. I say that there is probably a 80% chance of getting a perfect tablet with no problems. I am pretty sure ( don't really know ) that Google has fixed most of the problems that some people have experienced. I am positive that our tablets will get the 4.4 KitKat update so you will have the latest technology. If you want a bigger tablet, I would get the Nexus 10 that is rumored to come out with the Nexus 5. Personally, I'm saying that this tablet is pretty amazing and that you should get it while you can.
I've bought my Nexus 7 LTE 2 weeks ago and don't have those problems. But I also seem to be relatively lucky when it comes to electronics. My advice would be to either buy one at a later date when more users report success with regards to the issues. Or to buy it from a reputable place where you can easily get it replaced or a refund.
Also, keep in mind that people having issues with electronics are far more likely to make threads and posts about these issues and be vocal about them than people who are content with their device.
My touch screen is still kinda meh. It register as if I hold the screen when I just tap sometimes (like 1/25 time ish?). Also when I scroll like 1mm, it doesn't start to respond until I scroll a little bit more. Kinda annoying when I just want to scroll a very tiny bit. Not too big of a deal but it does get slightly annoying. Other than that, nothing was bad right out of the box. I think it's worth a shot.
drummer132132 said:
I am in the market of purchasing my first Nexus device and have been looking at the Nexus 7 (2013) model but have concerns. After doing a lot of research about the various problems with the Nexus 7 the ones in particular that caught my attention are the touch screen issues, random reboots (this one is my biggest concern) and gps issues. How widespread are these issues? What is the likelihood I'll get unlucky and get a "bad" Nexus 7 tablet? I've read in various places people getting 2-4 replacements and still having the same problems. Is this isolated to a minority of people or do most Nexus 7 (2013) tablets have these issues? Is it a rare event to find a 100% functional Nexus 7? Should I wait until after the holiday season when new batches are made and hopefully have been fixed? Should I buy it all?
I have been itching to get a Nexus device for awhile. I currently own a Galaxy sIII on Verizons network and hate the fact Verizon delays android updates so I am looking to jump ship to a pre-paid plan in the future and more than likely going with a Nexus phone but want to experience a Nexus device (Nexus 7) before doing so. My contract is not up until July of 2014. I am at a point where either its Nexus or Apple. I like to be current on updates. Any help/insight would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
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Click to collapse
Hi OP, I understand your concerns and I would love to share my experiences with you!
I had a Galaxy Nexus with Verizon, and jumped ship because Verizon only had their 3G network at the time and it was painfully slow, it made AT&T look really good.
The Nexus 7 2013 I got, the first one was pretty bad. It would freeze occasionally (also random reboots) and had a cluster of dead pixels and another dead pixel off some random place. After I got that unit swapped, this N7 works almost flawlessly- there is still some of the random phantom taps but not as much. It's enough so I can live with it.
If memory serves me right, the best way to buy it would be through Best Buy. I am a little leery of support through the Google play store and I know with best buy I can be there to get it swapped out on the same day if need be. You will not save on sales tax from the play store so I would opt for better sales support and buy it from Best Buy, or any other retailer carrying the device.
Other than that I think you will be very happy with it. I would avoid AT&T like the plague- I had their service for 3 days (cancelled today) and they charged me an ETF for cancelling- I had to call 4 different people and chat with a rep before I could get it resolved. Your best bet would be through T-Mobile. Their CS support has been a lot better than AT&T. But remember, T-Mobile service only works well in the cities. If you're out on the highway you will be stuck with EDGE or domestic roaming. AT&T has far better speeds on major highways but their CS experience really cheesed me and turned me away from their service. They even scratched my SIM card tray! But I'll step off my soap box for that.
I think these issues are waning, it might just be early production kinks. We've seen it in iPhone 4s when they came out with the incomplete gluing of the screen causing yellowing for example. I can say production wise, the 2 tablets I had were perfectly fine.
Coming from a Note 2, it's refreshing to be with stock android. Touchwiz just eats up RAM like it's nothing.
I'd say go for it. It's nice to have a tablet with cellular access.
I have BB Rewardzone Silver or whatever they call it with 60 day returns. If you feel you want the extra 30 days, send me a PM and I'll send you an invite! I think I can give some invites away until the end of the month.
And tl;dr, YES IT IS WORTH IT
I agree with others on the touch screen. It's has so much lag and just not that responsive. I got the LTE version and I'm very disappointed.
I'll have to see how the LG G pad is but of its as bad as N7 I'll pick up the ipad mini2.
Sent from my VS980 4G using xda app-developers app
Its worth it. I bought my 32gb Nexus 7 at best buy mid August. Its working flawlessly so far. I have no complaints, this is my first tablet I've ever owned and I adore it.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Just got mine today, 32gb version, really worth it, even though I paid 320usd for this ( no Google play store in Vietnam ). Amazing device. So far so good
Hi, I got mine yesterday. The 32gb version. Unlocked, flashed custom recovery and rooted in less than 3 minutes. Coming from HTC this is refreshing. I was tired of going MacGyver on HTC devices for the sake of unlocking them.
After 24h of use, no touchscreen issues. Far as I remember I had one reboot but I think it was on purpose due device update (didn't notice the reboot warning maybe). I'm very happy with it, fast, sleek, all functional for now and I hope it stays that way.
A friend of mine also ordered his recently and had 0 issues as well. I think these latest batches are coming out much better.
Sent from my Optimus 4X HD using xda premium
It worth. And when kitkat will be there, it will even worth more.
derpyderps said:
If memory serves me right, the best way to buy it would be through Best Buy. I am a little leery of support through the Google play store and I know with best buy I can be there to get it swapped out on the same day if need be. You will not save on sales tax from the play store so I would opt for better sales support and buy it from Best Buy, or any other retailer carrying the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disagree completely on this point. My experience with Best Buy customer support has been awful. They will give you a hard time about any issues that are not readily apparent (for example, with the touch screen issue, they would use the device and say "Well, the touch screen is working fine for me" even if you tell them it's an intermittent issue). Google has been fantastic about customer service. I went through four or five Nexus 7 2012's due to the screen lift issue and they never gave me a hard time. Additionally, they offer the full support for a full year. For example, my Nexus 4 (that I bought on launch day) was having a new issue recently and they replaced the device without needing to go through LG support.
Mine was free so it's kind of hard to complain (sister won it, has and ipad and didn't want the nexus too), but I'll give it a shot:
It's a nice light device, looks slick, works well, seems fast (for my use at least), fantastic screen, and battery life seems to be really good.
Great for reading books, great for playing games and it's small enough to slip into any pack.
Live wallpaper is cooler than stink (at least I think so). Graphics are great all around.
The micro USB is a nice bonus over anything apple puts on theirs and the ability to add storage though it is brilliant. I wish I had more than 16 GB (more like 11 after os usage) but I didn't pay anything for it so; Meh....16 gb will do fine. I can always add an app and a usb stick if I want to carry lots of movies, music or documents with me.
People complain about the sound from the speakers sometimes, but what do you want from a "micro thin" 7" tablet? They're better than my iPhone and better than my wife's iPad. I'll get Bluetooth speakers if I want more than they offer. They work fine for most use for me or I use earbuds. It's a tablet, not a stereo...
It works fine for skype and Wifi video calls as is. Sound is fine when I'm talking to my little girl from the hotel. I even find myself turning it down sometimes.
The only problems I've had with it was a slightly "wonky" touchscreen. Very infrequently it would miss a touch or skip on a drag. More prevalent when I wasn't holding it (ie; sitting on the table, etc). Games like Angry Birds were painful to play because of skipping drags. Damned birds flinging everywhere! (lol)
Rooted it and installed sfhub's TS-10 driver and now it's perfect. Little bit of lag on a drag, but nothing serious. Might matter if you're a big tablet "gamer" and need speed in shooter games or similar.
Sometimes I do find myself wishing for a bigger screen, but not very often. It's fine for what it is. A bigger screen would add size and weight and that would ruin the concept of it being light and easily portable anyways. Pick your poison.....
It does feel a little cheap. Or maybe that's not the right word, fragile might be better. But that's likely because it is so light and thin. It probably only feels that way because it is light and thin. That usually means it's probably cheap or low quality to someone of my generation. We like a good, heavy solid feel which says quality to us. It might be very well be quite robust, I just don't want to be the first to find out by dropping it.
It needs a stand too. IMHO, any tablet does. It's light enough that you can hold it fine, but if you watch a movie or read for hours on end it would be nice to put it down. Lots of cases incorporate that option.
So, worth it?
Yeah, I'd say so. It's a nice little tab and it comes in pretty affordable compared to crapple products.
Go try one out is my best advice. Either use a friend's or go try a demo one at the store.
Thank you all for the great responses! They have helped in lowering my worries about receiving a faulty device and increased my desire to pick one up
I do have another question pertaining to Nexus devices in general. Do nexus devices "lag" over the course of time? I hate to mention the competition (aka Apple) but I know that over time their operating system doesn't lag very often as compared to Android devices (or at least that's what I've seen from friends etc who own Apple devices). My Galaxy SIII has been laggy to an extent and was wondering if this would be significantly less on a Nexus device. Devices in particular would be the Nexus 7 2013 model, Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 (I know its not out yet but one can speculate).
Again thank you all for the responses.
Depends on how it lacs. The s3 is a dual core so it may lag when you throw a bunch of things at it. I have the note 2 with a 4core exynos and it still runs fine. The nexus 7 doesn't use a top of the line 4 core but it still packs a punch. I actually got the old nexus 7 because it was a bargain but I couldn't deal with it stuttering so bad. It had issues with the memory controller and the poor design of the tegra 3. I think Asus learned from their mistakes with this second release.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
I think about buying N7 2013 but I read here that it has many hardware issues, that prevents me from getting it..whats the chance I get faulty device?
Buy it and you will see.
Duh!
drummer132132 said:
I do have another question pertaining to Nexus devices in general. Do nexus devices "lag" over the course of time? I hate to mention the competition (aka Apple) but I know that over time their operating system doesn't lag very often as compared to Android devices (or at least that's what I've seen from friends etc who own Apple devices). My Galaxy SIII has been laggy to an extent and was wondering if this would be significantly less on a Nexus device. Devices in particular would be the Nexus 7 2013 model, Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 (I know its not out yet but one can speculate).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, I've seen plenty of lag with Apple devices as well. My fiancee has an iPhone 4 and my mom has a 4S, and both run noticeably slower since the most recent update. Android systems tend to get laggy due to too much stuff installed/running on them and it can easily be fixed with a factory reset. Apple devices tend to get bogged down just due to system updates.
I'm wondering if my experience with my sIII has simply made me more apprehensive about purchasing another android device in fear of it being "laggy" over the course of time. Technology has come along way since the sIII in terms of speed and from what I know stock android is pretty fast and not bogged down with bloatware that both Samsung and Verizon think we want. Also to be fair when I talk about "laggy" I'm not saying I'm unable to do things it's just noticeable on certain things but overall runs pretty smooth.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
swisstourist said:
Buy it and you will see.
Duh!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't wanna buy semi-working device so I'm collecting infos about hw issues before purchase
441Excelsior said:
I don't wanna buy semi-working device so I'm collecting infos about hw issues before purchase
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The data just isn't there to give you a percentage of defective units. Plenty of people receive units without issues but plenty of people receive a unit with an issue.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/poll.php?do=showresults&pollid=15276
Based on that poll 15/18 people receive a unit without a defect. Keep in mind that one of the people in the thread said he exchanged it multiple times due to backlight bleed, which is (unfortunately) normal for an IPS LCD depending on the severity. Some of the people who answered "No issue" may have received a tablet with backlight bleed but compared it to other tablets and realized it's "normal."
Just buy it from somewhere with a good return/exchange policy and go from there.
Hi. Im in the Army and found out Im going to Afghanistan soon. I am looking for an android tablet/hybrid (not looking for a Surface) to hold me over until I we get things set up and I can have my wife ship my gaming laptop over (which is why i dont want a Surface, as I already have a windows device). what I need it to do: read comics, read ebooks, watch videos (by that I mean mostly 1080p 10bit x265 HEVC videos), play games, and skype. ok, the comics, ebooks, and skype dont need much hardware for that, but the videos and games need a good processor. So far I've read the wifi sucks...and other say that the wifi doesnt suck, that it has issues playing games and others say there isnt an issue playing games, etc. Can someone give me their opinion on if this would meet all my needs. Thanks for your help.
howdy, this would meet all your needs, wifi only has issues if you are at a distance from access point and seems to only affect in higher bandwidth internet connections. (hasnt had any effect on mine but im less then 30 meters from AP with adsl connection).
the screen ratio is really good for reading comic etc, wide screen movies have bars but most tablets do this, these days
performance wise this is still the strongest android tablet on the market, will run everything no problem
battery life is pretty good on this tablet too easy get 11 hours screen time over a 3-5 day period on a single charge.
ive said this before but i have owned every major android tablet release from nexus 7 onward and normally get disappointed and sell after a few months but the pixel c really has given me no regrets and would highly recommend it
Thanks for your response. I do like 4:3 ratio-type tablets better than wide-screen for books and comics. I doubt where I'm going there'll be high bandwidth Internet anyway. Lol
Ive had zero issues with mone from the beginning so i dont really know how much i can add. The screen is great and battery life is superb. Its done everything ive wanted.
I bought one and it's to be delivered tomorrow. I'm coming from a Nexus 9, which I really like, but wanted a change. If for some reason the Pixel C is not what you were looking for, the Nexus 9 is a really good device that will easily do what you seem to want to do with a tablet, plus they've really come down in price lately.
Aredubu said:
I bought one and it's to be delivered tomorrow. I'm coming from a Nexus 9, which I really like, but wanted a change. If for some reason the Pixel C is not what you were looking for, the Nexus 9 is a really good device that will easily do what you seem to want to do with a tablet, plus they've really come down in price lately.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually was looking at the Nexus 9 with its keyboard as a 2nd option. saw them for decent prices on Amazon. but, im pretty sure im gonna get the Pixel now since it is new and hoping that Google keeps improving it with updates.
It's a great device, get it.
In my opinion, it's a device that's not ready for prime time. There are issues or have been issues with almost every facet of this tablet from build quality to touchscreen issues to display quality to keyboard support and still currently major wifi issues. One of the reasons I cannot recommend the device. For now, the best android tablet is the tab s2 9.7 inch, you get the 4:3 display, a super amoled screen which makes reading easier. A stable device with fast wifi speeds and one of the lightest tablets out there. For extended all day battery life, keep the display brightness on 40 to 50% and all battery life concerns are solved. You will get all day battery life with this setting. There is also microsd card support if you want added memory.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I think the no BS answer is that you are rolling the dice. If it works for you, it's an excellent device, although the keyboard is (still) a little glitchy. If it doesn't, you'll be in Afghanistan coping with a device giving you stupid problems. Have a good backup system.
Since I just applied another software update a few minutes ago (March 1 security patch), I will add that the reason I rolled the dice on the Pixel C was exactly that -- the promise of future software updates and the hope that the initial glitches that have been plaguing some people would eventually be fixed. I just read an Anandtech article saying that the Feb update fixed many of the touchscreen issues they were having, which is good news.
on 5Ghz wifi, and no problems. Wifi range is predominately determined by the Wifi router, not the Wifi device...
I really like the Pixel C. However it's the wrong size/format for single handed traditional tablet use. But it sounds like you have already decided to get it with the keyboard, so thats not an issue.
The hardware build quality is amazing, I think you will be pleased with it. make sure to get the latest OTAs it makes a huge difference to the device.
Bought in Dec with the keyboard or whenever it came out and ended up sending it back. It didn't seem ready for prime time. Laggy and stuttery screen pick up.
Excellent build quality for both the tab and the keyboard.
Just purchased with the discount and updated to the latest 6.01 and its great. Very responsive so far, with none of the initial issues. Never had wifi issues but am not far from the router, so likely why.
Didn't get the keyboard this time as overall the two together it was quite heavy, it had no backlit keys and disconnecting from the tab always made me feel like I was going to scratch the screen. Likely wouldn't of happened but didn't feel right. As well as I didn't think it was worth the £120.
@jeebugorn - Not sure if you ever got it, but perhaps also consider Remix OS running on your Pixel C.
Here are the download links and the tutorial on how to flash:
Pixel C: http://www.jide.com/remixos/devices/pixelc
Nexus 9: http://www.jide.com/remixos/devices/nexus9
Tutorial on how to flash onto your device:
https://jide.zendesk.com/knowledge/a...rand_id=449827
Thanks!
I really, really like the Pixel C. I like it so much that I hope my 4th one works. The first one died after one day. The second one died after several months. The third one died after one hour.
I've been debating whether I should actually keep the next replacement when it arrives or sell it while it's still sealed in the box and get something else.
I don't mean to hate on the product or on Google. There must be a large majority of people who just get them and use them without any big issues.
If it doesn't die it's a terrific device. Despite my exasperating experience I'm still going to give it one more go because I don't know of a better tablet I'd get instead.
Mine works fine, but I mostly use it to read comics, so my main concern was the screen - and for an LCD it is amazing. I'd love to upgrade to a tablet with AMOLED display in the future. One thing I have noticed though is that it is strangely sluggish - my Note 4 (having almost the same resolution and older SoC) seems much, much faster. I don't know, maybe WiFi is the reason? But it seems to be doing OK.
The keyboard is quite bad though, I end up using a Logitech bluetooth keyboard instead most of the times.
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.
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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
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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.