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***Official G-Nex first impressions thread*** Love it? Hate it?
- Thread starter Steven58
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- galaxy nexus
Jonathan SCE
Member
I just picked up my GN yesterday, and I found out that I am so used to the menu button location on my OG Droid, that I keep hitting the home button by reflex when I want the menu.
D
Deleted User
Guest
I still don't understand this.
If the plug is on the bottom, then when you have the phone in your pocket, it's facing down. Then, when you reach in to pull it out, it is automatically in the correct position in your hand to bring it up to your face to work on it.
If the plug is on the top, then you have to pull it out, then use your other hand to flip the phone around so it's right side up before working on it.
Transitioning over from BB and finding I'm missing a lot of functions. Here's a couple of big ones.
Can't dial from an embedded phone number in the notes field in contacts?
Lost ability to add text behind a phone number in contacts (helps identify among multiple phone numbers in one contact)
Can't dial from an embedded phone number in the notes field in contacts?
Lost ability to add text behind a phone number in contacts (helps identify among multiple phone numbers in one contact)
Here is my ~ 10 year cell phone history:
1. some old prepaid push-to-talk for a few months
2. Moto Razr V3c/m for a little over a year
3. Some Vodafone push to talk for a few months abroad
4. Blackberry Storm 9530 for 17 months, and with the stock OS the whole time!
5. Galaxy Nexus for about 24 hrs now.
Needless to say it is a HUGE upgrade for me, but I do tend to be quite critical. The phone is awesome overall. I think we as users wanting it all tend to be a bit critical. The fact is that to produce these devices at the prices we pay, you pretty much have to have us all as guinea pigs (that's my theory).
My radio has been a bit temperamental, especially since I am living on the border of 3G/4G. But it has performed amazingly well.
There is some 'lag'. Yes, android isn't as smooth as iOS. Fact. But it's a compromise I am willing to make for a bigger screen and a more open platform.
First impression: pretty damn cool, I give it a 95%+ chance that it stays. My main issue was to lock in unlimited mobile data and hotspot/tethering. So hopefully I can keep that for future upgrades.
I can't wait to see what the mobile device market is like in late 2013 when I'm due for an upgrade.
1. some old prepaid push-to-talk for a few months
2. Moto Razr V3c/m for a little over a year
3. Some Vodafone push to talk for a few months abroad
4. Blackberry Storm 9530 for 17 months, and with the stock OS the whole time!
5. Galaxy Nexus for about 24 hrs now.
Needless to say it is a HUGE upgrade for me, but I do tend to be quite critical. The phone is awesome overall. I think we as users wanting it all tend to be a bit critical. The fact is that to produce these devices at the prices we pay, you pretty much have to have us all as guinea pigs (that's my theory).
My radio has been a bit temperamental, especially since I am living on the border of 3G/4G. But it has performed amazingly well.
There is some 'lag'. Yes, android isn't as smooth as iOS. Fact. But it's a compromise I am willing to make for a bigger screen and a more open platform.
First impression: pretty damn cool, I give it a 95%+ chance that it stays. My main issue was to lock in unlimited mobile data and hotspot/tethering. So hopefully I can keep that for future upgrades.
I can't wait to see what the mobile device market is like in late 2013 when I'm due for an upgrade.
OfTheDamned
The Friendly Undead
I know a few people that ran into the notes problem after years of using Outlook and BlackBerry. It just takes some getting used to. After a complete transition most of the people I've known say that they like Google's way of doing things better. It was just getting everything converted that was the hard part.
Not sure if you are aware if this, but beyond work, home, mobile, etc. for phone numbers there is an option for Custom where you can put whatever title you want. I have one contact with 8 different phone numbers and I was able to put custom tags for each one.
wysilverado
Newbie
Funny,I'm on my 2nd Gnex and don't agree with you at all even though I like the Nexus,to each his own I guess..... 4S better battery,better signal,smoother scrolling,clearer screen,easier to use and better touch screen. Being Larger and more customizable doesn't make it better for everyone and faster doesn't matter here as there is no 4G. Again,I really like the Nexus and I've used Android devises much longer than Apple.A little better reception and battery and I might have kept it. ICS is a nice upgrade, ios5 is so much less work to use its crazy.
1. Battery life.
2. Signal issues and Verizons' denial/lame excuse offered today.
3. The moron at Google that thought it would be a good idea to place the home icon right under the space bar.
4. The screen is too big. It's not really possible to use the phone one handed and be able to reach all areas of the screen without almost dropping the phone.
5. Keyboard slowdown issues still while receiving incoming messages (particuarly while using Google Voice).
6. Inconsistent placement of the 3 dot vertical menu icon (sometimes at the top of the screen while others at the bottom). This isn't even consisten in Google apps.
7. The camera is only slightly better than the OG Droid I was upgrading from.
8. The speaker volume for both calls and notifications is too low even at max level.
9. Connecting an audio out cable to the headphone jack (while in the car) completely disables the microphone on the phone.
10. No Google Wallet.
All of the following reasons are why I will be returning this phone ASAP. The most troubling of which for me is the home screen icon issue. I have only had the phone 2 days now and I've already been backed out to the home screen 5 times while typing. That is REALLY annoying and I had a feeling it was going to be an issue back when I first saw videos of ICS in action. How could everyone at Google not have noticed this would be a major issue/design flaw?
2. Signal issues and Verizons' denial/lame excuse offered today.
3. The moron at Google that thought it would be a good idea to place the home icon right under the space bar.
4. The screen is too big. It's not really possible to use the phone one handed and be able to reach all areas of the screen without almost dropping the phone.
5. Keyboard slowdown issues still while receiving incoming messages (particuarly while using Google Voice).
6. Inconsistent placement of the 3 dot vertical menu icon (sometimes at the top of the screen while others at the bottom). This isn't even consisten in Google apps.
7. The camera is only slightly better than the OG Droid I was upgrading from.
8. The speaker volume for both calls and notifications is too low even at max level.
9. Connecting an audio out cable to the headphone jack (while in the car) completely disables the microphone on the phone.
10. No Google Wallet.
All of the following reasons are why I will be returning this phone ASAP. The most troubling of which for me is the home screen icon issue. I have only had the phone 2 days now and I've already been backed out to the home screen 5 times while typing. That is REALLY annoying and I had a feeling it was going to be an issue back when I first saw videos of ICS in action. How could everyone at Google not have noticed this would be a major issue/design flaw?
Mormonstang
Member
I have hit that home button a few times haha but i love the phone
CharlzO
Android Expert
1. It's a 4G smartphone. It is comparable to just about every other Android Smartphone, in terms of life on battery. If you're experiencing abnormal battery life compared to other users, it may be something more with the device. I've found it to be perfectly fine with average use.1. Battery life.
2. Signal issues and Verizons' denial/lame excuse offered today.
3. The moron at Google that thought it would be a good idea to place the home icon right under the space bar.
4. The screen is too big. It's not really possible to use the phone one handed and be able to reach all areas of the screen without almost dropping the phone.
5. Keyboard slowdown issues still while receiving incoming messages (particuarly while using Google Voice).
6. Inconsistent placement of the 3 dot vertical menu icon (sometimes at the top of the screen while others at the bottom). This isn't even consisten in Google apps.
7. The camera is only slightly better than the OG Droid I was upgrading from.
8. The speaker volume for both calls and notifications is too low even at max level.
9. Connecting an audio out cable to the headphone jack (while in the car) completely disables the microphone on the phone.
10. No Google Wallet.
All of the following reasons are why I will be returning this phone ASAP. The most troubling of which for me is the home screen icon issue. I have only had the phone 2 days now and I've already been backed out to the home screen 5 times while typing. That is REALLY annoying and I had a feeling it was going to be an issue back when I first saw videos of ICS in action. How could everyone at Google not have noticed this would be a major issue/design flaw?
2. It's already been widely accepted that there will be a software update that will fix this. The phone's been out less than a week, and there's already a leaked copy of it that has supposedly improved it. Some users on here already have posted it. Expect the official update soon enough.
3. The space bar there is slightly inconvenient. Can't say I've had it affect my operation yet, but each person types differently.
4. Again, it's something that is a personal opinion. Not everyone wants a large screen, but it doesn't make it a bad thing.
5. Haven't seen this yet on mine. Again, could be something that might be an issue with your particular device.
6. I do agree with this one. Menu location is all over the place, but, at the same time, I can imagine that certain app devs think they might need to put them somewhere else.
7. The camera has never been touted as "omg this is the best camera ever!". I've taken good pictures with it, but I also have a regular camera I take to any important functions to take better ones with. Again, it's a camera on a phone.
8. Speakerphone is definitely a little low for some people. My notification volume has been ok. And it's also one of the issues that's rumored to be addressed and fixable with software updates.
9. Dunno, I use BT.
10. It's already availble to load as an .apk, and works fine, at least for many people.
I can't say that any of these issues you've brought up should be enough to condemn Verizon, ICS in general, or Samsung. Not every phone is perfect, and much less at launch. Bugs will be found, and I give the companies credit for getting onto them for fix as quickly as they have. The bottom line, is that no one ever said "The Galaxy Nexus is the most perfect, awesomest, and most amazing phone ever, and we promise it!". There are always going to be bad devices as well, so some of the issues may be a defect that could be replaced.
jimmypop13
Well-Known Member
Only the first two are issues to me personally and with new radios leaking and Google checking into battery drain, I'm thinking these two issues will be resolved soon.
Also, since I got this phone last Thursday morning, not once have I missed the space bar and hit home instead. I never even considered the home button location a problem. I like it.
Sounds like this phone just isn't for you
Also, since I got this phone last Thursday morning, not once have I missed the space bar and hit home instead. I never even considered the home button location a problem. I like it.
Sounds like this phone just isn't for you
nateap87
Android Enthusiast
Bahaha I returned the phone for one reason. None of the issues you're mentioning were issues for me. The camera was amazing when i gave it a reasonable amount of time to focus. The keyboard worked much better than the runner up keyboard worked(wp7). The home button issue sounds like a lack of coordination. I do slightly agree with the inconsistent settings icon but don't care enough to complain. Battery life was fine. Better than my thunderbolt which is all i asked for. The screen was actually about the same size as my thunderbolt considering the navigation buttons were part of the screen. 4g? Yeah mine dropped it a few times but that'll be addressed soon enough.
Been lurking around here for a while. Ordered the Nexus on release day(LetsTalk) but it got back ordered. Started reading all the complaints and even though I know forums are going to contain more complaints than praise I decided to hold off and canceled my order.
I read the article at anandtech.com (Investigating the Galaxy Nexus LTE Signal Issue) and decided I would take a chance. I picked up the Nexus yesterday at a local store and can say I am happy with the phone so far.
I got bit by the outage this morning. That was not a good start. But then so did the other people in the office with their 4g phones.
I am coming from a Droid X and live in a 3g area but work in a 4g area. I am/was very happy with the DX so the Nexus will have some shoes to fill in my eyes. I can tell you web browsing has been faster in both. I feel the screen is more attractive and I like colors betters.
I saw saw no 4g/3g switching at work. I ran some speed tests and was getting just under 12 mb down and just over 12 mb up.
I made a few long phone calls today. Call quality was good. One was on the way home through a rural area where I get occasional drops. An I didn't this time.
Some things I have noticed that I don't like. So far I am not happy with the battery life though I know its early and they say to give it time. Which I will.
Yesterday I was seeing signal strength ~93dbm but the mobile network state would not stay connected. Kinda like I saw this morning.
All in all I think this phone will turn out great if Verizon can get their act together in a decent amount of time.
I read the article at anandtech.com (Investigating the Galaxy Nexus LTE Signal Issue) and decided I would take a chance. I picked up the Nexus yesterday at a local store and can say I am happy with the phone so far.
I got bit by the outage this morning. That was not a good start. But then so did the other people in the office with their 4g phones.
I am coming from a Droid X and live in a 3g area but work in a 4g area. I am/was very happy with the DX so the Nexus will have some shoes to fill in my eyes. I can tell you web browsing has been faster in both. I feel the screen is more attractive and I like colors betters.
I saw saw no 4g/3g switching at work. I ran some speed tests and was getting just under 12 mb down and just over 12 mb up.
I made a few long phone calls today. Call quality was good. One was on the way home through a rural area where I get occasional drops. An I didn't this time.
Some things I have noticed that I don't like. So far I am not happy with the battery life though I know its early and they say to give it time. Which I will.
Yesterday I was seeing signal strength ~93dbm but the mobile network state would not stay connected. Kinda like I saw this morning.
All in all I think this phone will turn out great if Verizon can get their act together in a decent amount of time.
I should have known I would find nothing but android fanboys and total denial of all and any issues with ICS here. Just like it probably wouldn't be wise to go to a iosfan.com site for a honest review/opinion of the iphone. All the issues I pointed out are issues and Verizon is not addressing the signal issue well or honestly and neither is Google. They are pretty much playing the denial and point the finger game at this point.
D
Deleted User
Guest
Saying issues are not being addressed when the phone has been out for six days is jumping the gun a little, don't you think? It takes some type to work the kinks out, and some of these VZW/Samsung/Google didn't know about until the platform/phone was released. I'm sure many issues will be addressed in coming updates.
VTarantino
Member
Of course you'll find fanboys here. However, just because somebody disagrees with you doesn't mean that they're a fanboy. It's quite likely that they're just having a different experience.
For example, some people are complaining about battery life. I had no issues with the standard battery, and now that I have the extended battery, my phone has been on for 19 hours 25 minutes without a charge, with the screen being on for 1 hour 45 minutes of that, and my battery is still at 20%. I'm sure I could torch through the battery in 3.5-4 hours if I was browsing constantly, perhaps even faster with navigation or gaming, but I don't game on my phone and I have a car charger if I need to navigate knowing that GPS + screen + data is a HUGE juice killer. That will happen on ANY phone. So, for some people, the battery life might suck, but FOR ME AND MY NEEDS, the battery life has been stellar.
I have had NO issues with 4G reception, getting 2 bars at home, 4 bars when I go outside. BUT, I live in the Bay Area, where the 4G network is very strong. This, in fact, may be another reason I have great battery life. My phone isn't constantly switching between 3G and 4G or hanging on to a 4G signal for dear life.
I could go on, but for the most part, this is how I would address your issues. In your experience, you've had problems, but in mine, I have not. You do bring up some interesting points though - microphone off when audio cable plugged in (I need to test this since I do this as well), VZW's lame excuse (although new radios leaked which many are saying improve reception and signal strength). The thing is, a lot of phones have minor issues when they first launch, and software updates address these issues.
If the phone ends up having an irreparable hardware/design flaw, then you can call it fail, but, in my experience with the phone, the issues that you describe just haven't come up. I'm sorry you've had to encounter them, because I absolutely love this phone and wish everybody could experience it the way I do.
snuggles
Android Enthusiast
Coming from the TB I love the feel of this phone in my hand.
I know it's early but I love this phone.
I only have 2 concerns with the Gnex, first is the battery life even with the extended battery and second are the faint vertical lines on the screen present with various color backgrounds.
I know it's early but I love this phone.
I only have 2 concerns with the Gnex, first is the battery life even with the extended battery and second are the faint vertical lines on the screen present with various color backgrounds.
I live in the Bay Area as well and should have excellent 4G reception where I live but I usually have 1-2 bars of 4G. There is no way your phone has been on for 19 hours with the extended battery unless you are on wifi most of the time or the extended battery more than doubles the standby time of the Nexus. I can show you screen shots of what actual battery life is like on this device.. Can you provide screen shots of your claims?
PS.. If you had no issues with the standard battery as you say then why did you get the extended?
I don't know what you wanted to hear the guy did give you a reasonable reply. I actually agree with you with the phone being too big I wish that Google gave 2 options of sizes for their best selling phone. Also with the volume being way too low at max level. I worry about using a 3rd party fix in fear of blowing the speaker.
I personally think the camera is great for what I need it for. The droid 2 i had took for ever to come on and half the time by the time it did I missed what I wanted to take a picture of or video of. So I don't mind sacrificing quality for speed some a lot of people here actually are considering returning the phone for the exact reason I was eager to get this phone. I still feel though that the quality of the pictures are way better then the OG camera.
I don't like the position of the head phone jack.
And the other guy is completely right about the google wallet in fact if you download it Google will give you $10.
I think most of the people on this forum I been lurking for the past 2 weeks accept most of the problems that come with the phone.
I am totally with you on this. After my dealing with the Droid 2 I dont even want to think about buying non nexus phone. And I think you can just uninstall or disable most of the Verizon apps. It will be as if they were never there.
I live in the Bay Area as well and should have excellent 4G reception where I live but I usually have 1-2 bars of 4G. There is no way your phone has been on for 19 hours with the extended battery unless you are on wifi most of the time or the extended battery more than doubles the standby time of the Nexus. I can show you screen shots of what actual battery life is like on this device.. Can you provide screen shots of your claims?
PS.. If you had no issues with the standard battery as you say then why did you get the extended?
If you go to this thread http://androidforums.com/samsung-galaxy-nexus/464512-galaxy-nexus-battery-life.html
You will find screen shot of people who average 6-10 hours of battery life. One guy on there even got 1.3 days I think.
After looking at your screen shot it looks like you were using it pretty hard and still had %57 or at least another 2 hours left. Also looks like it was Awake for more then 1.5 hours but the screen was on for almost 1 hour of it. So I guess you were streaming something after you were watching a movie, navigation, browsing?
Most android and even IOS phones wont last much more then 4 hours with that kind of usage let a lone a phone this size. The only phone I think that can handle that usage is a Blackberry. Other then that you might want to consider an Ipad 2 that can give you about 10 hours with heavy usage. Hopes this helps you out
VTarantino
Member
crankerchick
Android Enthusiast
Drama queen much? Just because a few people disagree with you based on their experience doesn't mean it's nothing but fanboys in denial of the issues here. There are others who have voiced the same sentiments as you, right here in this thread.
Just like to point out also, that what you accuse Verizon/Samsung/Google of is the same thing that happened with iPhone 4 and the antenna thing. Not saying that makes it ok, but just pointing out that in most cases like this, no one wants to take ownership of a problem or fix it.
I'll also add that for most of your reasons, I agree that the Nexus isn't the phone for you and probably no Android phone is for you. Battery life is better on iOS in general, plus it is not a 4G phone. It's smaller, of a nice build quality, and has fantastic camera.
The phone was the size it was when you bought it, and the size it has been reported to be since its inception, so while it might not be the right size for you, you can't ding the phone itself and say it sucks because it's too big. So many people do this, they criticize a device for some feature it doesn't have, or some need it doesn't meet, when the device was never designed to offer that in the first place.
As far as I'm concerned, this phone disappoints in:
1. Battery life. Not in general, but relative to other 4G phones and even some other Galaxy Nexus phones, because something is keeping the phone awake when connected to mobile data above and beyond what should be normal compared to other Android phones and in comparison to some other Galaxy Nexus phones.
2. Something is awry with some phone's ability to hold a data connection.
3. The speaker output is lacking and even with Volume+ it's still pretty unacceptable.
4. ICS is the best version of Android yet, but it is still not as fluid as iOS and does lag in a few places.
5. There is a WiFi bug that is affecting some people if they leave WiFi on and go out of a range of a remembered network, the phoe will go into a bootloop.
Any other complaints with the device such as screen size, dimensions of the phone, lack of Google Wallet, layout in ICS, etc, well those are all as advertised. A person is certainly allowed to dislike said features, but it's kind of silly to say a phone "sucks" or is a disappointment because of said features when they are already known up front before purchasing.
