I think the galaxy Nexus looks like a great device.
However, Photo Stream and iTunes Match make my iPhone just too hard to give up.
However, Photo Stream and iTunes Match make my iPhone just too hard to give up.
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Phones Anyone jumping ship to a Galaxy Nexus???
- Thread starter bigbadneil
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chakraj
macrumors 65816
If you mean the iPhone 6, I will just pay cash for it. I am not leaving Verizon and my new Unlimited LTE and unlimited LTE hotspot plan. I know ATT will not be offering an unlimited LTE hotspot plan anytime soon.
I am already at 14Gigs for the month. Hey it can connect up to 10 devices on LTE hotspot, and I pay $30 for the hotspot and $30 for unlimited LTE data. So at $60 a month on data alone, I can use it as much as I please.
So if the new iphone has LTE and a 1080p + screen I may just buy it and stay on Verizon.
So buying a Nexus with plan now makes changing to the iPhone 5 this summer very expensive (i.e., necessitates paying the ETF)? Or is there a way to do it that's less expensive?
nooaah
macrumors 68000
Yes, but you seem to be obsessively compelled to explain this to iPhone users for some reason. 😉
Mac.World
macrumors 68000
I'm glad you like your Nexus. Not a bad phone. How's ICS working? Any bugs found in it? Transitions smoother than in Gingerbread?
chakraj
macrumors 65816
adnbek
macrumors 68000
You're kidding, right? Android fragmentation and lack of updates is a well-known fact. Some phones can't even go past Froyo and many Gingerbread phones won't get ICS either. (and it has nothing to do with how capable or not the hardware is)
Have you done any research on the topic? Here's some reading for you to do:
http://theunderstatement.com/post/11982112928/android-orphans-visualizing-a-sad-history-of-support
I do not think people buying Nexus phones are planning on going back to iPhone so it's not really a concern to them. Why would they? iPhone 5 will still have smaller screen with lower resolution. At best it may get LTE, NFC, 1 GB of RAM but Nexus already has them. If anything, Nexus owners are probably looking forward to Samsung Galaxy SIII which is rumored to be a monster phone.
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What does "fragmentation" have to do with the subject of this thread? All Nexus phones get updated just as timely as iPhones. So both iOS and Android have exactly one phone model which is well supported. Situation will probably change once Motorola is acquired by Google. Most likely all Motorola phones will use standard Android then.
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I though that "for a 54 year old with big hands" all functions are awkward on a 3.5 screen. Just try browsing the Internet on this little thing.
Sure. Go ask Nexus One users how timely they received the Gingerbread update and also ask them how they are enjoying their ICS update. Google's track record isn't all that great even with the Nexus phones. But the sample size is small so here's hoping.
Another problem is the slow adoption of latest apps also affects the app quality. The latest version of Android, ICS, has been around for over a month now but because the users cannot move to ICS fast, the developers tend to delay upgrading their apps to take advantage of the latest features to the maximum extent.
As a side note, the best selling version of the first Samsung Galaxy in the USA, as far as I know, was the T-Mobile Samsung Vibrant. While not a Nexus, that phone is still stuck in Froyo let alone Gingerbread. That phone came out in July 2010.
TG1
macrumors 6502a
I was seriously thinking about this since my gf is on Verizon and I'm currently on AT&T with my iPhone 4. The drop in price to $99 didn't hurt either. In the end, though, it was just too much to ask to leave the Apple ecosystem and all I have invested there from app purchases, to docks & accessories, to services like iTunes Match.
So, I'll end up riding out my contract until iPhone 5 shows up and switching to Verizon then. Loving the untethered jailbreak on the iPhone 4 too. 🙂
So, I'll end up riding out my contract until iPhone 5 shows up and switching to Verizon then. Loving the untethered jailbreak on the iPhone 4 too. 🙂
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I have a Vibrant. I am slightly tempted to get a newer phone (maybe the Galaxy Nexus), but when it comes down to it what am I buying?
I already have unlimited data (after 5GB they restrict it to EDGE)
I already have tethering (use it at work every day)
I already have spare batteries and battery chargers
I can already view avi, mkv with subtitles on my phone
What would I be gaining? these:
1. A better functioning GPS
2. A better camera
3. A front facing camera
4. A nicer/bigger screen
The question is, do I want to pay ~$500-$600 for these things?
I already have unlimited data (after 5GB they restrict it to EDGE)
I already have tethering (use it at work every day)
I already have spare batteries and battery chargers
I can already view avi, mkv with subtitles on my phone
What would I be gaining? these:
1. A better functioning GPS
2. A better camera
3. A front facing camera
4. A nicer/bigger screen
The question is, do I want to pay ~$500-$600 for these things?
NO , After owning 5 iphones, I am tired of the general look and feel of the iOS. Each year nothing radically changes, more or less things are the same.
the ICE Cream Sandwich OS is much better than iOS at this point. I also like that ICS is more open, more features, more customizations.
As a fellow Vibrant user, I can tell you that the lateset Android phones feel much faster even without ICS. Things like scrolling around a web site, just flicking through the home launcher all feel much smoother with latest Android phones with faster chips.
The sad part of Android is that even Windows Phone with inferior hardware feels much smoother and even ICS doesn't completely solve that. Having been using Windows Phone 7 for a bit now in addition to my Android phone, Android just feels awkwardly stutter-y.
Odd thing is, ICS feels great at first with a good "wow factor" but after a while it hasn't impressed me much. The OS somehow feels disjointed and something isn't quite right with the UI. Windows Phone 7 is the complete opposite. It didn't wow me in the beginning, but after you get used to it, the fresh UI approach really grew in me and it's really smooth all around, notwithstanding some 3rd party apps that tend to be slow.
I still prefer iOS over either of them given a choice, but I actually begin to feel sorry for Microsoft a bit. They have a pretty nice product in Windows Phone 7 but getting completely destroyed by Android.
BoxerGT2.5
macrumors 68020
Gave my wife my 4s, picked up the GSM Gnex. Love it! Had just about every AT&T rep wanting to check it out when I went to grab a sim for her. Zero issues and most of the battery issues are on the LTE version with Verizon.
The galaxy nexus was my "it" phone for a while.... One of my friends got one right before our snowboard trip..... And then a few weeks later another friend got the Droid Razr.
Now I am a bit torn....truth be told, the form factor of the droid data is far and away nicer than the Galaxy Nexus. Thinner, lighter.... Photos don't really do the droid data justice once you've held one in your hands.
Locked bootloader is a non starter, though.... Also Pentaband means I can use my phone whomever I want, whenever I want.
Given how tough it is for me to decide between two such devices... It is *really* hard for me to understand the mentality of the iphone user that decides that the one-size-fits-all approach works for them in the long term.
adnbek
macrumors 68000
Yeah, sorry for changing the subject. Was just responding to someone who brought it up.
As for your assertion that it will improve. Maybe for stock "Google" phones but that's about. I don't see any improvement with the rest, especially considering that some manufacturers *cough* Samsung *cough* are releasing phones at an even faster rate than in previous years (except for HTC which has pledged to take a more sensible approach and stretch out their release cycles.
FYI, for those jumping ship to G Nexus on Verizon, battery life is a big issue right now, especially if you have LTE enabled all day.
The best I could get with 4G enabled all day was about 2 and half hours.
With WiFi connected all day, expect to get about 4 hours of on-screen time.
The best I could get with 4G enabled all day was about 2 and half hours.
With WiFi connected all day, expect to get about 4 hours of on-screen time.
What the story with that second pic showing over a day with no charging and moderate usage?
A switcher here. Well 2 of us as both me and my wife jumped ship at the same time. Me from a iphone 4 and she from my old 3G.
She never pays for apps. Just use free ones or the ones on the ipad 2 which are my apps.
As for me well I generally just find I am not an app person. The most used thing for me is the browser, email, whatapp, gtalk, kindle and facebook. And now that I have done the switch I am going to make it a point to avoid any purchases that's locked into any phone OS. So no more ibooks for me. As for games well the only game that I really play (since I tend to use my phone for games at most 5 minutes at a time) is angry birds. And guess what it's free on android as it's ad supported (don't know how long that gravy train lasts as I never click on ads).
As to all the pros and cons and all the FUD from either side....
I don't miss the iphone at all really.
I don't think at this point iOS has any solid advantages over android for a first time smartphone buyer. In some ways it's actually not as friendly an experience setting up an iphone over android, especially for people who already uses google's services and have an gmail account. In the iOS world the activation of an iphone is indeed a "post PC experience" in that you plug it into a machine with itunes first THEN you get to use your new phone. With the GN all I had to do was provide my gmail credentials and everything came to the phone.
Smoothness. Iphone 4 vs Galaxy Nexus the GN wins. Not so sure about the 4S as I only used one for a day before sending it off to my Dad. But overall if you aren't concentrating I doubt you'll notice much.
Siri. Played with it and while it proves a nice little bit of humour in Big Bang Theory. I didn't find it much use. Might be cause it's still beta without much of the features enable for people outside the USA. If you just want to search or call someone google voice works ok too.
Multitasking. One of those things that apple still doesn't do well at. And you can tell not a lot of thought when into it. On ICS you have you dedicated multitasking menu which is wonderful. And the swipe to remove program from the task list and free up memory and kill the front end task (backend tasks sometimes keeps running) is much easier to use than the way you kill "tasks" in iOS.
Customization. Wow what to say? It's great on ICS and android in general. It might not seem much but being able to add all sort of icon for 1 touch functions or having widget display important data is a nice to have.
Face unlock. It's hard to say if this is a gimmick or not. It doesn't work consistently enough to remove the need of having a pin or pattern unlock. But it does work well enough that it reduces the number of times you have to use the pin. I hope this feature does get the dev time it needs to improve.
Keyboard. There's no contest that iOS input hasn't really changed or improved since a long long time. The increased control you get with the android keyboard vs the iOS one is quite nice. I find less "damn you auto correct" moment now than before. Also helps that the GN has a bigger screen so you get slightly bigger keyboard with more space between keys.
Overall I like this new phone and from my point of view maybe those who don't like ICS might want to give it a serious go and see what they think after a week or 2.
She never pays for apps. Just use free ones or the ones on the ipad 2 which are my apps.
As for me well I generally just find I am not an app person. The most used thing for me is the browser, email, whatapp, gtalk, kindle and facebook. And now that I have done the switch I am going to make it a point to avoid any purchases that's locked into any phone OS. So no more ibooks for me. As for games well the only game that I really play (since I tend to use my phone for games at most 5 minutes at a time) is angry birds. And guess what it's free on android as it's ad supported (don't know how long that gravy train lasts as I never click on ads).
As to all the pros and cons and all the FUD from either side....
I don't miss the iphone at all really.
I don't think at this point iOS has any solid advantages over android for a first time smartphone buyer. In some ways it's actually not as friendly an experience setting up an iphone over android, especially for people who already uses google's services and have an gmail account. In the iOS world the activation of an iphone is indeed a "post PC experience" in that you plug it into a machine with itunes first THEN you get to use your new phone. With the GN all I had to do was provide my gmail credentials and everything came to the phone.
Smoothness. Iphone 4 vs Galaxy Nexus the GN wins. Not so sure about the 4S as I only used one for a day before sending it off to my Dad. But overall if you aren't concentrating I doubt you'll notice much.
Siri. Played with it and while it proves a nice little bit of humour in Big Bang Theory. I didn't find it much use. Might be cause it's still beta without much of the features enable for people outside the USA. If you just want to search or call someone google voice works ok too.
Multitasking. One of those things that apple still doesn't do well at. And you can tell not a lot of thought when into it. On ICS you have you dedicated multitasking menu which is wonderful. And the swipe to remove program from the task list and free up memory and kill the front end task (backend tasks sometimes keeps running) is much easier to use than the way you kill "tasks" in iOS.
Customization. Wow what to say? It's great on ICS and android in general. It might not seem much but being able to add all sort of icon for 1 touch functions or having widget display important data is a nice to have.
Face unlock. It's hard to say if this is a gimmick or not. It doesn't work consistently enough to remove the need of having a pin or pattern unlock. But it does work well enough that it reduces the number of times you have to use the pin. I hope this feature does get the dev time it needs to improve.
Keyboard. There's no contest that iOS input hasn't really changed or improved since a long long time. The increased control you get with the android keyboard vs the iOS one is quite nice. I find less "damn you auto correct" moment now than before. Also helps that the GN has a bigger screen so you get slightly bigger keyboard with more space between keys.
Overall I like this new phone and from my point of view maybe those who don't like ICS might want to give it a serious go and see what they think after a week or 2.
i get over a day of usage with moderate use w/ 4G enabled all day.
i was just trying to make a point by saying that 4G enabled kills battery, but if you're on 3G/WiFi, you'll get terrific battery life.