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Is the Galaxy Nexus really worth it?

sean76

sean76

Android Expert
OK peeps....were on the heels of Verizon finally giving us some pure Android goodness! Any day now...lol!

My question to everyone, including myself is this...

Is this phone really worth it? Is it really worth the hype and wait?

So we know what the phone has...it has alot of Goodies,,,The 2 biggest goodies IMO being Pure ICS and a beautiful huge 720p Super Amoled screen to view that pure Vanilla on. And of course we'll be in line to get updates on a pretty much instant basis being its a Nexus Device controlled by Google.

So all that is great...really great IMO!

Now for what it doesn't have...

Micro SD card slot...Yup that's missing as we all know by now! And yes the phone will have 32gigs of onboard storage, but without the SD card...its on to cloud computing ladies and gents. Honestly, its the Future, and I have no issues with giving it a shot...I think we should have at least had the choice on that one, but it is what it is...

5 megapixel Shooter...This may end up being a decent camera, but Putting the 8 megapixel shooter that's on the SGS2 into the Nexus would have put any doubts to bed! So what we have is an average shooter that takes pics at lightning speeds? OK, again...I'll give it a shot.

Gorilla Glass and a heavy durable frame...
This has been beat to death, and Samsung said they have some durable glass on this bad boy...Yup I know, a guy did the key test yesterday and the Nexus came out clean as a whistle with no scratches at all! And we all know Samsung builds some lite framed phones made of plastic...And there is no difference here, its lite and made of plastic...lol, classic Samsung! So no, this phone will not have the durability factor that say the Droid Razr has...Not even close on paper it looks like. Again, I'll over look that in order to have some pure Android goodness in my pocket..

Which brings me to this...

I just saw a post about the Galaxy Nexus not having Flash Support? Reallllly?
Hey I know that flash said eventually they will not be supporting mobile devices down the road...And it's been said that the mobile industry is going towards HTML. But I didn't know it would be that fast? Because however, I got flash on my Razor right this minute...And I gotta say I use flash quite a bit on my phone. Am I willing to give that up right this minute also?

The point and question is this...Am I , are we, giving up to much just to get this supposedly great OS on the Galaxy Nexus?

Did we get caught up in the DROID PRIME hype machine the last few months?

I'm questioning all this right now, and I gotta say it looks like alot to give up when you really look at the big picture...

Anyway...what's everyone else thoughts.
 
the Nexus or the 4S (now that battery issues are fixed) if i did not like it. Problem is this.....The Rezound is a really good phone! I am still not sure on the battery, but will the Nexus be better? Will that Nexus screen really look better than the Rezound? I find it hard to believe that it will. Not having flash support is a huge issue for my friends with Iphone 3 and 4, they seem to be blocked from viewing way to much for their liking. I will wait and see how my Rezound does with battery and possible bugs, and while I am doing this I will evaluate the Nexus. I do not expect the Nexus to be better than the Rezound and it is possible that both phones will have poor battery life. If battery issues are too much to bear it is off to the apple tree for me.
 
It will eventually have flash support, like they are talking about in the flash thread... I'll hold off on buying until it does and probably save myself $50
 
Flash issue is probably display issue between ICS market app and flash app for GB. I think that will be resolved pretty quick or it can be sideloaded at least. 5MP camera doesn't bother me either. 8MP camera sensor is nothing more than bragging right on phone. It actually hurts image quality especially in low lighting condition and I haven't seen anyone printing large 100% resolution picture out of phone camera. I also think 5MP is contributing to faster shutter lag as it writing smaller file to flash memory. So none of these would keep me from getting Nexus.

As for battery on Nexus vs Rezound, I'd be very surprised if Nexus doesn't outlast Rezound by healthy margin. What's hindering Rezound and many HTC on battery life is their practice of putting small battery and heavy Sense UI hogging resource.
 
This is the phone to have unless you want for skinned ics phones to come out. We probably wont see that for quite awhile. The no sd card thing is a plus for me after using the Bionic. What a pain the ass that has been with having to move files back and forth because apps don't look on the sd card by default. Also the phone will support flash. It may not be visible on the market yet but you can most likely side load it and it will be fine. Either way flash is no longer being developed for Android and will be replaced with something else in the future.
 
Yes....Next question?

But in all seriousness, this phone is going to be great hardware. ICS is getting raving reviews and who knows when/if we see another vanilla ICS device. The screen is getting awesome reviews and people aren't saying the build quality feels cheap. Probably due to the metal frame underneath the plastic. I can't see myself realistically considering anything on Verizon now or in the near future.
 
Yes, worth it, but mainly because both the hype and the wait is entirely self-induced by the enthusiast community, and entire contained within. The majority of the public have no idea it is coming. This is light years from being a "next iPhone scenario". In fact, I would guess that a year from now, more of these phone are owned by people that right now know nothing about it, than by those who do.
 
A good photograph is a good photograph, regardless of megapixels. Yeah, there's a lower threshold, but 5MP is well above it for online posting and normal sized prints.

32GB is a lot of memory to fill. Can somebody please plug a USB stick into the Nexus' MHL port and verify Host Mode works as expected? I'm anticipating "local" drop box storage onto thumb drives -- easy memory swaps. I'll be content with the expected speedieness advantage that built-in memory provides over SD.

(edit: scratch USB Host Mode as I envisioned it: androidforums.com/samsung-galaxy-nexus/447899-usb-mass-storage.html )
(edit again: damn, I'm getting blown out of the water here... now 16GB instead of 32. Wow.)

Durability is too early to call. But hey, it has 4 less buttons to fall off. And who's to say the glued together Razr won't explode when dropped.

Nah... the only thing that "wasn't worth it" was slogging through that mega thread like a hungry dog in search of a piece of kibble to snarf down.
 
There is gonna be a lot of compatibility issues with ICS for the first month or so , just like there was with Gingerbread when I flashed it to my Tbolt I had a few apps that didn't work with it . I'm guessing even though Adobe is not working with mobile anymore I'd bet that ICS gets set up with flash shortly .

My biggest issue is speaker loudness I am loving my Rezounds speaker phone it BLOWS away the one the Thunderbolt and I've heard some reviews that say it's pretty weak
 
sean76 said:
Micro SD card slot...Yup that's missing as we all know by now! And yes the phone will have 32gigs of onboard storage, but without the SD card...its on to cloud computing ladies and gents. Honestly, its the Future, and I have no issues with giving it a shot...I think we should have at least had the choice on that one, but it is what it is...

5 megapixel Shooter...This may end up being a decent camera, but Putting the 8 megapixel shooter that's on the SGS2 into the Nexus would have put any doubts to bed! So what we have is an average shooter that takes pics at lightning speeds? OK, again...I'll give it a shot.

Gorilla Glass and a heavy durable frame...
This has been beat to death, and Samsung said they have some durable glass on this bad boy...Yup I know, a guy did the key test yesterday and the Nexus came out clean as a whistle with no scratches at all! And we all know Samsung builds some lite framed phones made of plastic...And there is no difference here, its lite and made of plastic...lol, classic Samsung! So no, this phone will not have the durability factor that say the Droid Razr has...Not even close on paper it looks like. Again, I'll over look that in order to have some pure Android goodness in my pocket..

Which brings me to this...

I just saw a post about the Galaxy Nexus not having Flash Support? Reallllly?
Hey I know that flash said eventually they will not be supporting mobile devices down the road...And it's been said that the mobile industry is going towards HTML. But I didn't know it would be that fast? Because however, I got flash on my Razor right this minute...And I gotta say I use flash quite a bit on my phone. Am I willing to give that up right this minute also?

The point and question is this...Am I , are we, giving up to much just to get this supposedly great OS on the Galaxy Nexus?

Did we get caught up in the DROID PRIME hype machine the last few months?

I'm questioning all this right now, and I gotta say it looks like alot to give up when you really look at the big picture...

Anyway...what's everyone else thoughts.
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I think you are looking way too much into things. The MicroSD slot is an arguement I think people are not really thinking about, logically.

If you were to fill up 30gigs on a phone or storage device. Can you name every file that is on there? Which leads me to multiple SD cards. As more and more GBs add up, more and more files are lost/forgotten about.

A fixed 32gigs means you have to make quality over quantity a priority and it becomes a necessity in the long run. You can always use a computer/laptop/tablet to add and remove files to your phone. SO again, i do not see the negatives of having no SD slot or the constant reference to having to use the cloud. I only see people used to hording complaining about it.

Not even going to talk about Camera. If you think a 8mp camera is better than a 5mp, so be it. But, its not.

I'm sure flash will be available and if not a browser will have built in functionality to use it.

Hey look . The phone isn't for you if you have all these doubts. Not a big deal. Its a phone. Others will come out.
 
sean76 said:
Is this phone really worth it? Is it really worth the hype and wait?
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All things considered, I'm very much looking forward to it, so yes. It's by no means perfect, but I'd be comfortable owning a Google phone for the next two years, as I'm confident it's at least been future-proofed.

Micro SD card slot...Yup that's missing as we all know by now! And yes the phone will have 32gigs of onboard storage, but without the SD card...its on to cloud computing ladies and gents. Honestly, its the Future, and I have no issues with giving it a shot...I think we should have at least had the choice on that one, but it is what it is...
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While I'm always up for progression and forward thinking, I also believe in a practical transition period. I utilize a lot of cloud-based services, but there are some things I just prefer to store (or transfer) locally, and a removable SD card provides that utility.

As an example, my Bionic suffered what seems to be the growing Black Screen of Death (BSOD), and at least with my and VZW's attempts, we've been unable to get the phone to boot. Thankfully, my media, backups, etc. have been saved to the SD card, so I'm not too pressed about a replacement. However, lack of SD support is going to change the way I do things, most definitely.

5 megapixel Shooter...This may end up being a decent camera, but Putting the 8 megapixel shooter that's on the SGS2 into the Nexus would have put any doubts to bed! So what we have is an average shooter that takes pics at lightning speeds? OK, again...I'll give it a shot.
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I've been satisfied with most smartphone cameras, when it comes to taking something quick/candid. I typically rely/use a dedicated camera any time I'm at a planned event. I know some are picky about the camera, but I don't have any issues. The quicker shutter speed is something I'm very interested in, though.

Ga guy did the key test yesterday and the Nexus came out clean as a whistle with no scratches at all!
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This is good to know. Not that I thought they'd drop the ball here, but confirmation is a plus.

Because however, I got flash on my Razor right this minute...And I gotta say I use flash quite a bit on my phone. Am I willing to give that up right this minute also?
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Flash is a double-edged sword for me. I currently use it on-demand and I'd have to say that it's not always an ideal experience. It's one of those things I'll probably overlook, until I need it, lol.

Am I , are we, giving up to much just to get this supposedly great OS on the Galaxy Nexus?
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If it simply maintains 3g/4g signal, reliably, doesn't suffer the BSOD/phantom screen issues, or the sudden battery discharge I've had with Moto products, then it will be leagues better than anything I'm using or have used.

I'm making the jump.
 
Yeah I think the 5mp thing is blow out of proportion but I do want to see a good camera I don't care the MP . The Iphone4 only had 5mp but blew away my Incredible and Fascinates 8mp cameras. I actually had my Thunderbolt and Rezound both set to 5mp as it takes up less memory and the pictures in lower light situations were slightly better plus I'm not blowing up any Camera phone pictures
 
darkestred said:
I think you are looking way too much into things. The MicroSD slot is an arguement I think people are not really thinking about, logically.

If you were to fill up 30gigs on a phone or storage device. Can you name every file that is on there? Which leads me to multiple SD cards. As more and more GBs add up, more and more files are lost/forgotten about.

A fixed 32gigs means you have to make quality over quantity a priority and it becomes a necessity in the long run. You can always use a computer/laptop/tablet to add and remove files to your phone. SO again, i do not see the negatives of having no SD slot or the constant reference to having to use the cloud. I only see people used to hording complaining about it.

Not even going to talk about Camera. If you think a 8mp camera is better than a 5mp, so be it. But, its not.

I'm sure flash will be available and if not a browser will have built in functionality to use it.

Hey look . The phone isn't for you if you have all these doubts. Not a big deal. Its a phone. Others will come out.
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Maybe you didnt 100% read my Thread...I said I was mostly over looking EVERYTHING to get this phone. I was not complaining! What I was doing was basically asking people if they were over looking things as well

The Cloud- No problem, I'll give it a try! YES it's something I'm not 100% sold on. Meaning my info just chillin somewhere in Cyber Space as opposed to being in my hands on an SD card that I can with ease just switch from phone to phone.

Camera- no no no...I'm not caught up in the mega pixel wars! I said WOULDNT it have put lots of people at ease if this phone came with the same shooter as the Galaxy S2 has...Yes it's an 8 Mega Pixel, and yes it's on the money! Have you ever seen or used a SG2? My Droid Charge which is old by todays standards has a 5 Mega Pixel shooter...So this being the Flag of Google, one would think they would put a proven shooter on board that's currently being used? I understand it's a developers phone and it's not packing the best of the best...I'm just saying!
And I also said it remains to be seen if the Nexus has one awesome 5 Shooter on board that gets the job done. If it does...Awesome!!! I hope it does 100%

And Flash? Yea man I use Flash! As do alot of people on this Forum! I was mearly expressing concern. Now we all know HTML5 is on it's way, however it's not here yet. And I was pretty taken when I heard Flash is not working on the moment on the Nexus. I knew about what was going on with Flash not being updated or supported in the future..I wasnt aware it was happening so quick.

I didnt say the phone wasn't for me...I was basically asking my fellow Forum members there thoughts on all this and what not...
 
ChiTownJim said:
Yeah I think the 5mp thing is blow out of proportion but I do want to see a good camera I don't care the MP . The Iphone4 only had 5mp but blew away my Incredible and Fascinates 8mp cameras. I actually had my Thunderbolt and Rezound both set to 5mp as it takes up less memory and the pictures in lower light situations were slightly better plus I'm not blowing up any Camera phone pictures
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Yea there's a strong chance that the 5 is crystal clear on that 720P screen!

Jim, our Fascinates were 5's.....Jezz remember all those days we'd all go back and fourth about when we were getting Froyo...lmaoooo
 
Considering the Galaxy Nexus will probably be the only non-bloatware phone to be released in the next year, I'd say it's definitely worth it. It'll either be this or the next iPhone for me. In regard to some of the issues that were raised:

- Between the internal storage and microsd slot on my Incredible, I've got 16gb of storage, and that's only about half full right now

- Flash support: If it doesn't work on this phone, it probably won't work on ANY ICS phone. So if you want to stay on Gingerbread forever, go right ahead :)

- 5MP camera: Meh, it's a phone, not a f**king camera.
 
I've spent approximately 3 years of my life trying to "un" HTC my Android phones. First the incredible then the thunderbolt to varying degrees of success. (I've yet to find a thunderbolt rom that really runs well and provides a nice smooth stock experience.)

So for what I'm looking for which is good hardware with the cleanest software experience available I can't imagine the Galaxy Nexus letting me down.

I'm sure the Rezound is a nice phone but I've been down that road twice before and I know that it ends with me being frustrated and unhappy. (Not so much with the Incredible, I loved that phone had I not sold it quickly after I got the thunderbolt I probably would have switched back to it.)

So from my experience yes the wait is worth it. If you have experienced sense in the past and like it .... Then possibly not worth it.
 
sarxsvt said:
I've spent approximately 3 years of my life trying to "un" HTC my Android phones. First the incredible then the thunderbolt to varying degrees of success. (I've yet to find a thunderbolt rom that really runs well and provides a nice smooth stock experience.)

So for what I'm looking for which is good hardware with the cleanest software experience available I can't imagine the Galaxy Nexus letting me down.

I'm sure the Rezound is a nice phone but I've been down that road twice before and I know that it ends with me being frustrated and unhappy. (Not so much with the Incredible, I loved that phone had I not sold it quickly after I got the thunderbolt I probably would have switched back to it.)

So from my experience yes the wait is worth it. If you have experienced sense in the past and like it .... Then possibly not worth it.
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I hate sense...And IMO holding the Rezound felt Like the love child of the iPhone 3G and incredible 2....lol
 
Continue to postpone release and it will be an epic fail for VZW. This phone should be released already. If it can be launched in the UK, it can be launched here. What is the point of having an announcement, push the announcement a week because Steve Jobs died, and then announce nothing?

Delay release into Dec, there is no reason not to wait 2 more months for Tegra 3 phones.
 
BigRedNole said:
Continue to postpone release and it will be an epic fail for VZW. This phone should be released already. If it can be launched in the UK, it can be launched here. What is the point of having an announcement, push the announcement a week because Steve Jobs died, and then announce nothing?

Delay release into Dec, there is no reason not to wait 2 more months for Tegra 3 phones.
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I havent really thought about this. I said for the Bionic if it was pushed into Sept I would wait til other phones came out. I didnt have the money when it launched so I had to wait regardless.

I did get the RAZR, knowing full well the Rezound and G Nex were coming. For me it was about reception and reception only. Moto has always been better than Samsung in that area, dating back to before Android was out. Seeing the Nexus might be coming in Dec....that woulda left the RAZR, Bionic and Rezound. I couldnt wait til Dec for a new phone, I needed something soon.

But...for ppl wanting the latest specs...whenever the G Nex comes out in Dec its only a few weeks away from 2012. Might be a stock Android phone running Tegra 3 the 1st Q of next year, or some newer dual core or some other quad core beast. Yea we cant wait forever....but like ppl that waited when the Bionic came out...they are real happy the did wait. The RAZR came out of no where..

Is the G Nex worth it? If you want a phone this year, yea. If it whats you really want, yea. If you are into chasing specs and wanting the latest n greatest...might not be worth it if it comes in Dec. Ppl can say the same thing about the Bionic, probably the RAZR too. Just based on specs we all should get the Rezound...lol.

I do know I will be holding off on ICS until they get this Flash thing worked out. I use it on a regular basis for radio stations that dont work with the Tune In Radio app.
 
Sean, what a debacle this has been. Verizon has screwed this up so bad I am sure some people will be turned off of the GN. I am nearly to that point myself. I think it is very telling how little power or care Google has with the GN. Had this been Apple we wouldn't even be discussing this. Apple would say, it is being released on this date and laughed at the mention of bloatware.

After trying out the Razr and the Rezound for a couple of days. I started livening up my Bionic and am happier with it than ever before. Th3ory purity is slick.

As to your original question. Time will tell. Too much more time and some people will walk away for principle. I wished I could. I have to at least give it a go. I will say this, if it does not knock my socks off, I will be exchanging it for a Razr.
 
Is it worth the wait? Sure. Why would I jump in and buy something else like the Razr or Rezound until the GNex is released and I can do a good comparison of all the major players?

I'm not that impatient that I can't wait another couple days or weeks or whatever for what is a decent investment.
 
The longer VZW makes us wait the closer we are to seeing newer releases of phones which they will also fail to deliver in a timely manner.

At least now my fever is gone so I will make a more rational decision. I really liked the rezound when I looked at it in the store the other day. Time to hop into that forum to see how people are liking the battery life on that side of the world.
 
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