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Just got Nexus S. Comparison with iPhone 3g

M

moordown66

Newbie
This week I got a Nexus S, replacing an iPhone 3g (jailbroken) which I’ve had for nearly 3 years. This is my first foray into Android and I went for the Nexus S as it was stock Android with no manufacturer/phone co nonsense on it. I could wait for the next phone or the one after or the one after but the next one will always be better so you might as well get on with it. This isn’t meant as a review as such, more a share of thoughts and I’ve also got a few questions which more experienced Android users might be able to help me with.

Likes: Size, weight and feel is very nice. Not sure of the exact weight but it feels lighter than the iPhone 3g. The screen is very responsive, not had any lag issues. I’ve enjoyed making my own wallpapers and I love the fact that I can simply access the file structure to make minor adjustments when I see fit rather than go through iTunes or similar rigmarole. I think (this is a perception) that 3g reception is better than what I had on the iPhone 3g, but am not 100% sure – just feels like it. Having flash is a definite advantage. I love the mp3 finder apps.

Dislikes: Whatever anyone says, the UI beauty of ios 4.x is not there…the rolling numbers for the alarms, that kind of thing. It’s cosmetic but it’s lovely nonetheless. I’ve got a slight reservation about battery life but I’ve only done a couple of charges so far so will reserve judgement. I’m making sure that for now I use it exactly as I did the iPhone so I can get a direct comparison. The headphones were rubbish. I couldn’t skip track with them. I stuck my iPhone headphones in and could skip track but couldn’t go to previous track as per iPhone (3 clicks). When skipping track it’s a little bit hit and miss .

And now for a load of questions:
I’ve had an annoying thing re-occur when I long press to get an app/icon onto my homescreen. It shows on the homescreen while my finger is still on it but disappears when I remove my finger. This can be at any point on the screen – I’m not hovering over the bin or anything. Turning off/on fixes this and the app will then drop straight on but I don’t want to be doing that. Am I doing something wrong or is this a known problem?

I want Wunder radio. Had that on the iPhone and their website says it’s available for Android but I can’t find it in the market. Any idea why?

I still have the usb to mains plug I had for the iphone. Would that work ok on the Nexus S via the USB or would it damage the battery?

Is there a graphic eq add on for the stock music player? Had a look at Mixzing etc but didn’t really like it. It also didn’t show up any of the album art where the stock player did. If I go back, how would I fix that?

Why would I want to root this phone?

On the iPhone, one of the jailbroken apps which was great was sb settings which brought up a power manager with a swipe on whatever screen you were on, or folder you were in. Is there an equivalent or a closest fit?

How do I change the default browser if I want to?
There are the 3 icons in the dock screen – phone, menu and browser. Is it possible to add any more?

Does Gingerbread accept a certificate to get on my corporate wifi network? I know Froyo and below didn't.

Ummm – I think that’s it for now, thanks!
 
Check out Power Control, stock Android widget. To add widget, long press on home screen and select Widget in pop-up.

Long press on home screen is a way to add applications too. In pop-up, select Shortcut.

You can change dock icons with an alternate launcher, available in Market. I use LauncherPro and I've read good things about ADW too.

My reason to root would be to use applications that require root privilege; Titanium Backup and ShootMe (for screen captures) are two. Search root in Market to see more.

Couple ways to change default browser. Don't want to spoil your surprise. :-) Install another browser, click link and see what happens. (Other way is via settings, applications, ...)

I haven't had an iPhone so can't compare to that, but battery life for me is twice as long as previous smartphones, typically 24h vs 12.

Welcome!
 
Battery life, over 24 hours, I got 36hours out of it once, with screen maxed out and all updates as frequently as possible. Better than my old iPhone and significantly better than the HTC Desire.
 
Thanks moordown for the user input, I am currently on the verge of switching to Android too but I would prefer waiting till mid year to see what the manufacturers have in store. Tell me, how is the learning curve and did what else do you miss?
 
v5point0 said:
Thanks moordown for the user input, I am currently on the verge of switching to Android too but I would prefer waiting till mid year to see what the manufacturers have in store. Tell me, how is the learning curve and did what else do you miss?
Click to expand...

Its a huge learning curve. You have to go from doing nothing to doing something.
 
falconeight said:
Its a huge learning curve. You have to go from doing nothing to doing something.
Click to expand...

Interesting, generally are they done faster or are there more steps involved. I am thinking of running iDroid to check things out. Though it won't be the best comparison, I can get a rough picture of what Android is like and get to live with it.
 
I wouldn't say it's a huge learning curve - Android just allows you to do more.

Sometimes it's with less steps - widgets on home screens giving you information there and then for example. On an iPhone you'd have to enter an app, ask it to display what you want and exit the app again.
 
It's nothing spectacular to learn, you just have to do a few things different. I've got the hang of most of it now. There's a couple of things I need to address and a couple of questions I need to ask but so far I'm very happy. It's not better, it's not worse (OS wise), it's just a bit different and you have more freedom to do stuff if you want or not if you don't.
 
It really is easy and you probably will miss some of what the iphone has to offer. But if you try to go back it will instantly bore you to death.
 
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