Nexus Prime Specs are out!

[aztooh]

Which ones? I actually thought that many of the features mentioned in the keynote are already in iOS....

Facial recognition is in iOS? Widgets? iOS lets you make a shortcut to a contact right on the homescreen? Then take a group of those, put them in the a folder and dock it? Real photo editing abilities? Panoramic mode? NFC? Notification light? Ready-to-go-replies to missed calls? Lack of physical buttons, freeing up real estate on the front of the device for a larger screen on a device roughly the size of smaller screened phones? BAROMETER!!?!?!

I forgot iOS devices had all that stuff. Did I miss anything?

 

[thenerdal]

Facial recognition is in iOS? Widgets? iOS lets you make a shortcut to a contact right on the homescreen? Then take a group of those, put them in the a folder and dock it? Real photo editing abilities? Panoramic mode? NFC? Notification light? Ready-to-go-replies to missed calls? Lack of physical buttons, freeing up real estate on the front of the device for a larger screen on a device roughly the size of smaller screened phones?

I forgot iOS devices had all that stuff. Did I miss anything?

The Barometer!

Joking aside, I agree with you.

 

[hot spare]

I thought face unlock was the only truly innovative feature....and it failed. Also seemed like it might take longer than the pattern/combo unlock, which would defeat the whole purpose.

Camera seemed nice, but I doubt it'll be better than the iP4S. It looked fast, though.

Android Beam is meh.

Widgets are nice, but still make the home screens look cluttered to my eye.

Folders are exactly from iOS (but Apple took the notification center so I guess they're even).

Keyboard/dictation look better, but only time will tell.

Mixing voicemails in with recent calls doesn't make any sense to me. I much prefer iOS.

Browser syncs bookmarks just like iOS.

Photos now by places and people, just like iOS

Not sure if there's an SD slot, or if your stuck with 16gb. In any event, its hard to beat Apple's audio/video playback and the option for 64gb.

At the end of the day, I didn't see anything really new here. They did a great job addressing the cold look and feel of Android; its definitely more compelling. However, Apple knocked it out of the park with Siri, camera performance, iCloud sync, and the raw speed of Safari on the iPhone 4S. ICS does make Android more appealing, but its still far enticing me to switch. Can't wait to see how the browsermark scores stack up.

Folders from iOS? Are you so sure? You might want to check on that properly.

 

[Jay42]

Folders from iOS? Are you so sure? You might want to check on that properly.

The implementation is for sure.

 

[Abyssgh0st]

I posted this in the other thread, but it is also relevant here:

If I was basing my opinion off of the alleged specs of the Galaxy Nexus, I'd be disappointed- but I didn't think they'd happen anyways.

On the topic of ICS, I guess I'm just missing it. I was a day one G1 adopter, Nexus S owner, and I have Cyanogen Mod 7 on my Touchpad- so I am anything but unaccustomed to Android. I like some things about it, but the things I dislike are very prevalent: 1. The lag (which Topolsky is still apparent on ICS with the GN) and 2. The screens (home screen and additional 'pages') along with the app icon just look plain cheap! They just look really crappy in comparison to iOS or even WebOS (which was a much better OS than Android, IMO).

So maybe I am just not getting it- but from what I've seen of ICS, it isn't fixing any of the things I don't like about Android, nor do I see what has really changed in Android (aside from the faux multitasking, which is
still worse than WebOS!).

EDIT: And with this whole 'the device has a soul' concept, it was almost always in correlation with their new typeface. How the hell can a typeface have any significant effect on the way you feel about your phone? If anything Siri would be a somewhat decent example of a phone's 'soul' because it you really feel connected to your phone when you use it- and I'm sure as Siri evolves it will become a true personal assistant that knows us like actual humans do.

----------------

On the topic of phones, I think I'm going to stick to my 4S. While I was underwhelmed with the 4S (as most were) and iOS 5 was nothing new (had it since June), it was a rather boring upgrade cycle for me. Especially with 'batterygate,' it makes the 4S hard to enjoy to its full potential, at least so far.

I will be sticking with my 4S, but I'll want to use a Nexus Prime just to check it out. I think the idea of a larger screen is a good idea (not 4.65", though); something along the lines of ~3.7". With that massive, allegedly beautiful screen on the Nexus Prime, what do you use it for? Watching movies? (Not very enjoyable on a phone, IMO). Playing games? (What games? If Android had the huge market of high quality games like the iPhone I would be impressed and would enjoy the screen, but not with what they have currently. The only game they have that I want it Minecraft- no Crysis in terms of graphics).

My biggest complaint about the Nexus Prime is that it looks, and probably feels cheap. Plastic phones should be a thing of the past and from now on they should be: Glass, aluminum, liquid metal, carbon fiber, or some other high quality material. My TouchPad is plastic and it really does feel like I'm using an iPhone 3G (which I was no fan of, aesthetically) again.

 

[aztooh]

The Barometer!

Joking aside, I agree with you.

Edited, just for you! haha

There are some things I like better with iOS...but I HATE the form factor and prefer a larger screen...and ICS looks very impressive. Hopefully there isn't a long wait for this. If there is, I'll probably get a 4S to hold me over, just because I know the resale value will hold because of all the iNuts out there

 

[hspace]

I'm impressed. And this is now the first phone to beat the "retina" display.

Apple could afford to sit on its laurels with the 3G -> 3GS. Now they are trying to do the same with the 4 -> 4S. But there is a big difference - just a week after the 4S release we see a phone that spec-wise is superior or equal to the 4S in almost every aspects. And the avalanche of ICS devices will begin in earnest in Q1. And all those devices will have superior screens to the 4S.

Apple is playing a dangerous game, and now they REALLY have to hit it out of the park with the next iPhone.

And this is coming from an dual iPhone owner (got my iPhone 4 first day last year, plus got my wife a 4S first day last week) - But I'm glad I have a year left on my contract so I can see how it develops in the next year. I *assume* I will get an iPhone 5 (or whatever) next - but I am open to looking at ICS if the next iPhone is not the spec bump it needs to be.

 

[Clcross18x]

I edited my post, they do have hardware acceleration. I simply assumed they would bring it up. Apologies.

You can assume whatever it is you want and whatever helps you sleep at night.

I'm not a "fanboy" of any company (for the person who suggested that, for whatever reason he decided to edit his post now), being loyal to a multi-billion dollars company and any capitalist corporation is stupid and frankly, ignorant.

The iPhone is by no means a perfect phone, I still want a slightly larger screen, and I still want the UI updated to change the now outdated grid of icons and there is always a room for improving performance. We should never stop criticizing the iPhone, because that will hinder the growth and maturity for both the device and the operating system and Apple wouldn't push for even better standards.

Android has more options on the market, and thats very compelling, and while certain smartphones are extremely fast, the feel of the operating system is simply not a smooth as iOS. Yet. If anyone convinces himself otherwise, he/she is delusional and that gives Google the 'comfort' for not pushing better standards as well.

I had a Galaxy S for over a year now, I think its a great device, but it also disappointed me in many areas. After hearing the Android didn't improve in the "smoothness" department, I now decided I will be getting my first iPhone. And thats my choice, and a completely legitimate and reasonable one. Not because I already know what I want but try to "convince" myself that I'm making the right choice. That would be silly.

This self-defense mechanism of accusing everyone of "fanboyism" that decides on either one of these operating systems is getting very old. Grow out of it.

You heard from one source that the OS was still laggy. A source which was testing a phone which had been manhandled by multiple people at a large event. A phone which probably isn't even a final unit. And somehow managed to label it as a disappointment. If that's not convincing then I don't know what is.

Like I said, I'm a recent convert over to iOS, and while I think it's definitely more polished, I still have experienced stutters and lag with it. As much as I have on various Android phones I've owned. That's to say nothing of troubleshooting bunches of customer's iPhones that were slow or lagging. It's going to happen. Smooth is going to be a matter of opinion. My Nexus One was one of the smoothest phone's I've ever owned and in my personal opinion held it's own against my current 4S. That's to say nothing of the various customization I could do with it that I can't with my 4S.

I really could care less about the fanboy thing as I never called you one. I don't really care what you buy. I do however question the logic of someone calling someone a fanboy when he/she is making some grand proclamation on a message board about how "Google has lost you forever!!11!!" because of lag on a phone you haven't even demoed yourself.

 

[thenerdal]

Edited, just for you! haha

There are some things I like better with iOS...but I HATE the form factor and prefer a larger screen...and ICS looks very impressive. Hopefully there isn't a long wait for this. If there is, I'll probably get a 4S to hold me over, just because I know the resale value will hold because of all the iNuts out there

I like apps on iOS. The look of iOS not so much, they need to update the look. It's been like that since the original iPhone launch with the exception of Folders and wallpapers. Larger screens are the norm for phones now a days.

 

[TM WAZZA]

I've always liked Super AMOLED + for producing deep blacks and vivid colors. Only thing I disliked about (SGS2) was the low res screen. Now they combined the best of both worlds... high res + Super AMOLED

 

[Jay42]

Facial recognition is in iOS? Widgets? iOS lets you make a shortcut to a contact right on the homescreen? Then take a group of those, put them in the a folder and dock it? Real photo editing abilities? Panoramic mode? NFC? Notification light? Ready-to-go-replies to missed calls? Lack of physical buttons, freeing up real estate on the front of the device for a larger screen on a device roughly the size of smaller screened phones? BAROMETER!!?!?!

I forgot iOS devices had all that stuff. Did I miss anything?

True enough, although I don't see Apple adding that stuff except for the status light and contact shortcuts.

 

[aztooh]

My biggest complaint about the Nexus Prime is that it looks, and probably feels cheap. Plastic phones should be a thing of the past and from now on they should be: Glass, aluminum, liquid metal, carbon fiber, or some other high quality material. My TouchPad is plastic and it really does feel like I'm using an iPhone 3G (which I was no fan of, aesthetically) again.

Glass is the last thing a hand held device should be made out of. Also, the chassis, if you will, is a metal on the GN if I'm not mistaken? The shell is plastic. Inexpensive, lightweight, flexable (read: durable, absorbs impact in the event of a fall). Carbon fiber would be great..but it's expensive...and it isn't going to feel much different than a plastic shell.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I've always liked Super AMOLED + for producing deep blacks and vivid colors. Only thing I disliked about (SGS2) was the low res screen. Now they combined the best of both worlds... high res + Super AMOLED

Yea, anyone who argues against that is a true fanboy. Let's just hope they got the contrast right tho, cause I noticed contrast varies on differ models with SuperAMOLED.

 

[Jay42]

You heard from one source that the OS was still laggy. A source which was testing a phone which had been manhandled by multiple people at a large event. A phone which probably isn't even a final unit. And somehow managed to label it as a disappointment. If that's not convincing then I don't know what is.

How does the phone getting "manhandled" slow it down? Obviously I think everyone acknowledges that these are very very initial first impressions. However, UI lag is something Android has to fix, and very initial indications may suggest that it still exists.

If you want to talk about final release products under the most ideal conditions, stop reading rumor sites.

 

[Vegastouch]

I posted this in the other thread, but it is also relevant here:

If I was basing my opinion off of the alleged specs of the Galaxy Nexus, I'd be disappointed- but I didn't think they'd happen anyways.

On the topic of ICS, I guess I'm just missing it. I was a day one G1 adopter, Nexus S owner, and I have Cyanogen Mod 7 on my Touchpad- so I am anything but unaccustomed to Android. I like some things about it, but the things I dislike are very prevalent: 1. The lag (which Topolsky is still apparent on ICS with the GN) and 2. The screens (home screen and additional 'pages') along with the app icon just look plain cheap! They just look really crappy in comparison to iOS or even WebOS (which was a much better OS than Android, IMO).

So maybe I am just not getting it- but from what I've seen of ICS, it isn't fixing any of the things I don't like about Android, nor do I see what has really changed in Android (aside from the faux multitasking, which is
still worse than WebOS!).

EDIT: And with this whole 'the device has a soul' concept, it was almost always in correlation with their new typeface. How the hell can a typeface have any significant effect on the way you feel about your phone? If anything Siri would be a somewhat decent example of a phone's 'soul' because it you really feel connected to your phone when you use it- and I'm sure as Siri evolves it will become a true personal assistant that knows us like actual humans do.

----------------

On the topic of phones, I think I'm going to stick to my 4S. While I was underwhelmed with the 4S (as most were) and iOS 5 was nothing new (had it since June), it was a rather boring upgrade cycle for me. Especially with 'batterygate,' it makes the 4S hard to enjoy to its full potential, at least so far.

I will be sticking with my 4S, but I'll want to use a Nexus Prime just to check it out. I think the idea of a larger screen is a good idea (not 4.65", though); something along the lines of ~3.7". With that massive, allegedly beautiful screen on the Nexus Prime, what do you use it for? Watching movies? (Not very enjoyable on a phone, IMO). Playing games? (What games? If Android had the huge market of high quality games like the iPhone I would be impressed and would enjoy the screen, but not with what they have currently. The only game they have that I want it Minecraft- no Crysis in terms of graphics).

My biggest complaint about the Nexus Prime is that it looks, and probably feels cheap. Plastic phones should be a thing of the past and from now on they should be: Glass, aluminum, liquid metal, carbon fiber, or some other high quality material. My TouchPad is plastic and it really does feel like I'm using an iPhone 3G (which I was no fan of, aesthetically) again.

Ugh...here we go again. OK, sure, the glass concept is working great , right? Sorry man, i sure as hell dont want a glass phone. Even with a case on it, it will still break and a case it what i put on every phone so i dont care that it has a plastic back. I prefer it since it is getting a case.

Your post above...everything about it just sounds like you are never satisfied. Pretty much one big complaint about every device.

 

[Clcross18x]

I'm impressed. And this is now the first phone to beat the "retina" display.

Apple could afford to sit on its laurels with the 3G -> 3GS. Now they are trying to do the same with the 4 -> 4S. But there is a big difference - just a week after the 4S release we see a phone that spec-wise is superior or equal to the 4S in almost every aspects. And the avalanche of ICS devices will begin in earnest in Q1. And all those devices will have superior screens to the 4S.

Apple is playing a dangerous game, and now they REALLY have to hit it out of the park with the next iPhone.

And this is coming from an dual iPhone owner (got my iPhone 4 first day last year, plus got my wife a 4S first day last week) - But I'm glad I have a year left on my contract so I can see how it develops in the next year. I *assume* I will get an iPhone 5 (or whatever) next - but I am open to looking at ICS if the next iPhone is not the spec bump it needs to be.

The 4S never really made any sense to me, other than being a stop gap measure to the iPhone 5. I'm enjoying mine a great deal, but the truth of the matter is outside of Siri (although hackers have proved this wrong as well) I could have just gotten a iPhone 4 and had almost the same experience.

I do think to some extent they are relying on name recognition, brand awareness and word of mouth to sell this generation's iPhone. I still get customer's coming in asking where the 5 is at and how it's supposed to have a larger screen.

I tend to believe the rumors that the 4S was supposed to come out as a stopgap measure last summer, while the 5 was on deck to come later in the year as the "True" iPhone.

That being said, I'll wait and see what HTC's crack at ICS turns out to be. I'm putting a requirement for a bigger screen and LTE capability on my next phone, iPhone or not. Fun time to be in tech. Expensive, but fun.

 

[linkgx1]

Lolz, if you switched the iPhone and Android presentations the fanboys opinions would change too!

 

[Nioxic]

4.6?????? Way to big for me.

thats what she said :<

 

[Abyssgh0st]

Glass is the last thing a hand held device should be made out of. Also, the chassis, if you will, is a metal on the GN if I'm not mistaken? The shell is plastic. Inexpensive, lightweight, flexable (read: durable, absorbs impact in the event of a fall). Carbon fiber would be great..but it's expensive...and it isn't going to feel much different than a plastic shell.

Why not glass? It feels much sturdier, looks more professional, is cheap to replace ($20 for iPhone 4 or 4S back replacement, something that was never offered with the plastic iPhones). And while the chassis (looks like the bezel and not a whole lot more) may be metal, that isn't going to change how the phone feels- especially when you're holding it (hand on the back of the device).

 

[Clcross18x]

How does the phone getting "manhandled" slow it down? Obviously I think everyone acknowledges that these are very very initial first impressions. However, UI lag is something Android has to fix, and very initial indications may suggest that it still exists.

If you want to talk about final release products under the most ideal conditions, stop reading rumor sites.

Open apps in the background would possibly cause lag Apps loading in the background. You forget, the apps don't pause like on iOS in a saved ready state. They continue to run. If said person in line before you did not close out the apps, it's going to skew how you view the responsiveness of the phone.

I have yet to see this mythical lag problem Android phones all have. From using both iOS and Android, they both tend to stutter depending on what's gong on in the phone. It's not unique to Android by any means.

And rumor site or not, if you can't see the lack of logic behind looking at an initial hands on of a new unfinished product and making assumptions on how that final product will operate, then I can't even get into it with you. One source, does not a final opinion make.

 

[Abyssgh0st]

Ugh...here we go again. OK, sure, the glass concept is working great , right? Sorry man, i sure as hell dont want a glass phone. Even with a case on it, it will still break and a case it what i put on every phone so i dont care that it has a plastic back. I prefer it since it is getting a case.

Your post above...everything about it just sounds like you are never satisfied. Pretty much one big complaint about every device.

As I've already asked, what's wrong with glass? It's a $20 replacement if it cracks and none of our (me, nor my girlfriend, her parents, her sister and her husband, my mother, father, brother, grandmas, nor any of my friends with iPhone 4 or 4S's) have ever cracked the back! We've got people with Otterboxes, Incase Sliders, Speck Candyshells, naked phones, Invisible Shields, cheap China cases, etc. and none have had a cracked back! And even if we did, it's $20 to fix THROUGH APPLE! You could do it yourself in 5 minutes and have whatever color/material back you want for $15 on eBay.

As far as the front being glass, nothing is different there- iPhones have always been this way and are no more prone to cracking when dropped than any other phone.

 

[FutureStan]

You heard from one source that the OS was still laggy. A source which was testing a phone which had been manhandled by multiple people at a large event. A phone which probably isn't even a final unit. And somehow managed to label it as a disappointment. If that's not convincing then I don't know what is.

Like I said, I'm a recent convert over to iOS, and while I think it's definitely more polished, I still have experienced stutters and lag with it. As much as I have on various Android phones I've owned. That's to say nothing of troubleshooting bunches of customer's iPhones that were slow or lagging. It's going to happen. Smooth is going to be a matter of opinion. My Nexus One was one of the smoothest phone's I've ever owned and in my personal opinion held it's own against my current 4S. That's to say nothing of the various customization I could do with it that I can't with my 4S.

I really could care less about the fanboy thing as I never called you one. I don't really care what you buy. I do however question the logic of someone calling someone a fanboy when he/she is making some grand proclamation on a message board about how "Google has lost you forever!!11!!" because of lag on a phone you haven't even demoed yourself.

Again, I completely agree that iOS is not perfect, my fiance has an iPhone 3gs which I really dislike the design of it, and a lot of times it lags and while I'm sure a lot of it has improved two generations later, some features are simply missing that not an "A7" chip would bring.

I have never said Google has lost me forever, thats you now quoting things from me that I never said. I think Google is a great company that offers great services, most of their services are superior to that of competitors (Email, Docs, Search, YouTube), So don't quote me on things I didn't say. I also never said that Android lost me forever for that matter, even though Android is not reliant on me or you or this forum, but of course you know that. But for the time being, I decided I would leave it to try something new, exactly like you did, how is this different?

And of-course I will base my purchases on opinions from these editors, if you have the luxury to demo every phone on the market assuming you can also wait for said phone to be released, then thats great. But I don't, especially as a surgical resident (I'm in the hospital right now btw, slow day lol) I barely see my fiance and family.

I think the key thing you said is that its "more polished" (notice how I'm quoting things that you actually said, not things you haven't), and at this point I'm intrigued by that and would like to try it especially that my trusted tech journal site said that while its a great and fast device, with a great screen, its still not as smooth as iOS or even WP7.

I'm not going to discuss this any further mate, you can question my logic all you want, and I'll question your logic for questioning mine, but either way, If I offended you in any way, then I apologize, and hope you enjoy your iPhone or whatever next device/gadget you get. Peace =)

 

[lilo777]

I edited my post, Android 4.0 does include hardware acceleration. I simply assumed they would bring it up. Apologies.

You can assume whatever it is you want and whatever helps you sleep at night.

I'm not a "fanboy" of any company (for the person who suggested that, for whatever reason he decided to edit his post now), being loyal to a multi-billion dollars company and any capitalist corporation is stupid and frankly, ignorant.

The iPhone is by no means a perfect phone, I still want a slightly larger screen, and I still want the UI updated to change the now outdated grid of icons and there is always a room for improving performance. We should never stop criticizing the iPhone, because that will hinder the growth and maturity for both the device and the operating system and Apple wouldn't push for even better standards.

Android has more options on the market, and thats very compelling, and while certain smartphones are extremely fast, the feel of the operating system is simply not a smooth as iOS. Yet. If anyone convinces himself otherwise, he/she is delusional and that gives Google the 'comfort' for not pushing better standards as well.

I had a Galaxy S for over a year now, I think its a great device, but it also disappointed me in many areas. After hearing the Android didn't improve in the "smoothness" department, I now decided I will be getting my first iPhone. And thats my choice, and a completely legitimate and reasonable one. Not because I already know what I want but try to "convince" myself that I'm making the right choice. That would be silly.

This self-defense mechanism of accusing everyone of "fanboyism" that decides on either one of these operating systems is getting very old. Grow out of it.

You really fall a prey to Apple myths. Just watch these two videos comparing Samsung Galaxy SII and iPhone 4S and see for yourself that SGSII is actually smoother than the week old iPhone:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp0HlX1ySGg&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1EBlCWBHHs&feature=relmfu

 

[playtillyadrop]

i was debating about getting a iphone 4s or the new galaxy nexus glad i chose the iphone 4s. I love android too but ios does things better its just smooth.

But anyways here is a link describing hows theres still lag when shifting to other screens and also the camera samples cant touch the iphone 4s.

http://thisismynext.com/2011/10/18/galaxy-nexus-android-ice-cream-sandwich-pictures-video-hands-on/

 

[thenerdal]

As I've already asked, what's wrong with glass? It's a $20 replacement if it cracks and none of our (me, nor my girlfriend, her parents, her sister and her husband, my mother, father, brother, grandmas, nor any of my friends with iPhone 4 or 4S's) have ever cracked the back! We've got people with Otterboxes, Incase Sliders, Speck Candyshells, naked phones, Invisible Shields, cheap China cases, etc. and none have had a cracked back! And even if we did, it's $20 to fix THROUGH APPLE! You could do it yourself in 5 minutes and have whatever color/material back you want for $15 on eBay.

As far as the front being glass, nothing is different there- iPhones have always been this way and are no more prone to cracking when dropped than any other phone.

iPhone's Glass breaks when you drop and it hits the ground face down.. You probably dropped it and it hit the edge, that's why it didn't break.