Yes I know it's another s3 vs gnex thread but I've searched high and low for a thread to answer my question before I posted my own. I did my research as thoroughly as I could. Now, my question:
Which phone will have the most dev support and the most custom roms? The galaxy s3 or the galaxy nexus? Will they have an equal number? I realize the s3 has better specs but I want a phone that will have a good number of custom software options available for at least two more years to come. I like both phones so it's a tough decision to make. I don't really care about how often it receives ota updates as I fully plan to run my phone off the likes of cyanogenmod, aosp or another more refined rom. I'm asking your opinions and or facts about which one will be suit my customizing needs. Thanks in advance! (I'm on sprint btw)
it has been answered a thousand times but 1001 times wont hurt i guess.
gnex is a pure google device, so it will get updates first. because of that, custom roms will go hand in hand with that.
but the flipside is the s3 is samsungs flagship, and its spread across almost 10 carriers. so its going to have an insane amount of custom roms as well, given the fact that there arent many variations of it besides radio/processor combos.
best answer? noone knows. Most would say development will be about equal on both. CM is already up and running in beta stages for US s3's.
s3 is better hardware wise and newer.
Now. You do the dishes :angel:
That and the gnex
has been out months longer
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Isn't best roms more important than most roms?
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
Just coming from the GNex on Verizon to the SGIII on Sprint. I would say in the end the SGIII will endup with the most ROM's just because it can run Touchwiz and AOSP.
That was the one and only thing I did not like about the GNex.
Prior to the GNex I had a Thunderbolt and I like Sense, and I liked being able to run Sense and then the next day run AOSP. To this point AOSP is all that runs on the GNex.
There are ports of Sense and Blur but none are fully functional.
Coming from a Gnex on sprint and then getting a GS3,
as of right now, the Gnex totally wipes the floor with the GS3 because it has nearly perfect jellybean.
But that is true, it mostly just runs AOSP until some brave soul ports something else.
But you go to the development for the Gnex and there is alot more variety and much more roms than the GS3...
although since the GS3 has only been out for a little while compared to the Gnex, you can't expect too many roms, but it's getting there.
But i do miss the AOSP jelly bean, now i'm stuck on stock rooted 4.0.4 on my GS3 because i don't feel the roms out right now are too good.
but thats my opinion nonetheless.
Wolfbeef123 said:
Coming from a Gnex on sprint and then getting a GS3,
as of right now, the Gnex totally wipes the floor with the GS3 because it has nearly perfect jellybean.
But that is true, it mostly just runs AOSP until some brave soul ports something else.
But you go to the development for the Gnex and there is alot more variety and much more roms than the GS3...
although since the GS3 has only been out for a little while compared to the Gnex, you can't expect too many roms, but it's getting there.
But i do miss the AOSP jelly bean, now i'm stuck on stock rooted 4.0.4 on my GS3 because i don't feel the roms out right now are too good.
but thats my opinion nonetheless.
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As a fellow former sprint gnex user I agree that there is a lot more development going in there but that is only because the devas on the Verizon boards are nice enough to convert the ROMs over... with the exception of shabby penguin and maddogin and I think dreamsforgtten there isn't much original ROMs to tall about over there. Most of the stuff there which to be honest for a nexus isn't much is stuff that was ported over from the other variants which was surprising and the reason I switched over to the LTEVO (which was a horrible idea) and now to the GS3. Just seeing that they have a working version of CM9 and a CMX that can be used as a DD says a lot to me. It looks like Sammy has finally got their $hit together and released all of their sauce in a timely better than timely manner. This phone feels like what the nexus should have been. A much better screen, CPU, GPU (the nexus GPU is a joke) and camera... I feel like calling the Gnex a nexus is a joke because it is just way to underpowered to be consider a Google experience phone.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
Thanks everyone for your replies. It really helped a lot with my decision. I am now a proud owner of a galaxy s3 and since far even stock it's freaking awesome! I can't wait to trick it out with CMX or hopefully paranoid when it eventually gets ported lol but anyways thanks again for your help!
mauricehall said:
As a fellow former sprint gnex user I agree that there is a lot more development going in there but that is only because the devas on the Verizon boards are nice enough to convert the ROMs over... with the exception of shabby penguin and maddogin and I think dreamsforgtten there isn't much original ROMs to tall about over there. Most of the stuff there which to be honest for a nexus isn't much is stuff that was ported over from the other variants which was surprising and the reason I switched over to the LTEVO (which was a horrible idea) and now to the GS3. Just seeing that they have a working version of CM9 and a CMX that can be used as a DD says a lot to me. It looks like Sammy has finally got their $hit together and released all of their sauce in a timely better than timely manner. This phone feels like what the nexus should have been. A much better screen, CPU, GPU (the nexus GPU is a joke) and camera... I feel like calling the Gnex a nexus is a joke because it is just way to underpowered to be consider a Google experience phone.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
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I agree entirely, although the jelly bean was very smooth, the Gnex was WAYY too underpowered to actually be a google flagship phone.
and to actually think about it, to me at least, the GS3 doesnt seem like a flagship phone either. Although it should be a beast, to me it feels a bit too underpowered. Kinda wish we got the quadcore instead of the krait s4 as well as the 2gb of RAM but oh well.
I'm not an iPhone guy, as i hate iPhones and all their hype.
but if by then there is a quadcore CPU that can handle LTE, then samsung will be a bit behind..
although by then, we'll probably get another GS3 variant? maybe a Galaxy Note 2, or a galaxy s3 Quad or something you know?
at least those are my 2 cents...
now I'm gonna go back to looking for a mosin nagant locally lol
Wolfbeef123 said:
I agree entirely, although the jelly bean was very smooth, the Gnex was WAYY too underpowered to actually be a google flagship phone.
and to actually think about it, to me at least, the GS3 doesnt seem like a flagship phone either. Although it should be a beast, to me it feels a bit too underpowered. Kinda wish we got the quadcore instead of the krait s4 as well as the 2gb of RAM but oh well.
I'm not an iPhone guy, as i hate iPhones and all their hype.
but if by then there is a quadcore CPU that can handle LTE, then samsung will be a bit behind..
although by then, we'll probably get another GS3 variant? maybe a Galaxy Note 2, or a galaxy s3 Quad or something you know?
at least those are my 2 cents...
now I'm gonna go back to looking for a mosin nagant locally lol
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When we get quad core there's gonna be something better it will never end there's phones are fast enough android operating system and apps need to catch up to optimize theses higher end phones.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using XDA Premium App
Lol at the gnex being underpowered but runs circles around the gs3 with its JB update. Proving software is what's important. You guys have a souped up cam/2x the ram and a newer chipset and still complain. Ive never heard any1 say the s3 is underpowered til this thread. Smh.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
bonebeatz1234 said:
When we get quad core there's gonna be something better it will never end there's phones are fast enough android operating system and apps need to catch up to optimize theses higher end phones.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using XDA Premium App
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yeah and unfortunately with all these variety of devices, i don't think many apps actually use the full power that is capable of these high end phones.
malibu_23 said:
Lol at the gnex being underpowered but runs circles around the gs3 with its JB update. Proving software is what's important. You guys have a souped up cam/2x the ram and a newer chipset and still complain. Ive never heard any1 say the s3 is underpowered til this thread. Smh.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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i isnt underpowered...lol
nut coming from jelly belly on the Gnex... it feels slow. lol
As someone who has a sprint gnex, it doesn't seem underpowered at all. I run JB paranoidandroid and there is never even a hiccup. But alas, Sprint's gnex and s3 are devices without networks ATM.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
Related
So I just watched the live feed from Honk Kong unveiling the new Samsung Galaxy Nexus device. All that I can say is wow! I might be returning my Galaxy S2.... They say it will be in stores by November, so I might have to suck it up until it drops. Does anyone else feel this way?
dave2metz said:
So I just watched the live feed from Honk Kong unveiling the new Samsung Galaxy Nexus device. All that I can say is wow! I might be returning my Galaxy S2.... They say it will be in stores by November, so I might have to suck it up until it drops. Does anyone else feel this way?
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Not so quick. They still haven't confirmed when for the hspa so I would hold on for a little bit. I don't know why they only mentioned the overseas carrier and no mention of verizon or at&t and t-mobile.
I'll admit that they did add some cool features and all the swiping reminds me of Webos (gee I wonder why). Looks like google is moving in the right direction. I have to say this was more exciting to me than the iphone's release.
I'm may return my SGSII for this even tho I like it, the nexus prime looks amazing.
i agree...there are some cool features but there are also some that are gimmicky like the facial recognition. i know i for one am getting the device as soon as it drops, and i'm giving my gs2 to the wifey. hopefully not long after we can get ICS on the gs2 because with our specs our phones are more than capable of handling it.
Jjday7 said:
Not so quick. They still haven't confirmed when for the hspa so I would hold on for a little bit. I don't know why they only mentioned the overseas carrier and no mention of verizon or at&t and t-mobile.
I'll admit that they did add some cool features and all the swiping reminds me of Webos (gee I wonder why). Looks like google is moving in the right direction. I have to say this was more exciting to me than the iphone's release.
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They said they wanted it to work with the fastest networks. its just the first lte nexus. Which makes theirs exclusive cause of Verizon only lte network in the U.S.
I don't even think the phone is that exclusive as leaks were saying you can probably buy the gsm versions at bestbuy.
Nope...
I just got the GS2, and for what the Galaxy Nexus offers...not a chance I'm getting it. Everything still points to quite a few limitations:
-No SD Card, built in only (based on rumor and the specifications)
-4.65", serious?! The GS2 on T-Mobile is really pushing the size for me
-21Mbps vs 42Mbps, the difference is noticeable for me and I don't want to go back
-Camera, doesn't seem to be really any better than the GS2
-Still concerned about the rumors regarding the HD AMOLED being PenTile again. I know some people can't see it, but PenTile drives me insane.
To me all the excitement around the presentation was ICS, not the Galaxy Nexus. The GN was actually kind of a letdown for me personally.
Although...ICS didn't really get me too excited either. I'm mostly looking forward to the hardware GPU acceleration for movement and such, although it's a bit concerning that some of the demo movements had a bit of lag.
Just my thoughts on the presentation.
If this phone had ICS running on it right now then none of you would be so quick and eager to say I'm returning my phone for it. They didn't even mention if or when there will be a T-Mobile version. Most likely a T-Mobile version will be see for next year. Cool your jets and relax guys. I'm sure we'll get out turn with ICS. I'm willing to even bet that we'll see a leak build before the Galaxy Nexus even comes out.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
idk guys...
When I saw the T-Mobile version of the Galaxy S2...My jaw dropped and the instance I saw it...i made up my mind saying YES! I am getting that phone no matter what!
When I saw the Galaxy Nexus...I just didnt get that feeling...Yea, its a nice phone but i still find my GS2 more hotter in design...hardware is not that different infact our phone has a faster processor...In terms of ICS yes, my jaw dropped and i cant wait for us to get it on the GS2 but i'll be keeping my GS2 until Galaxy S3 comes out with a 5" screen with ICS on it lol
OuncE718 said:
If this phone had ICS running on it right now then none of you would be so quick and eager to say I'm returning my phone for it. They didn't even mention if or when there will be a T-Mobile version. Most likely a T-Mobile version will be see for next year. Cool your jets and relax guys. I'm sure we'll get out turn with ICS. I'm willing to even bet that we'll see a leak build before the Galaxy Nexus even comes out.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
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That's what I am saying. I am more excited about ICS than the phone. The specs aren't all that great. I'm sure our phone can run it and sooner than later there will be all types of ports popping up.
Yea the gs2 outdoes the galaxy nexus on many levels. Gs2 with ics = beastmode. Um not giving up my gs2 for that ish
Sent from planet neblon in the 2nd region of the samsung989 galaxy
Were most likely getting an update to ics.. that being said our phone spec wise outperforms the galaxy nexus save for screen size..
That being said to answer your question no I don't feel that way.. im sticking with this sexpot
Ics rips off alot of feature already available in touchwiz circa vibrant
Sent from my SGH-T989
Jjday7 said:
That's what I am saying. I am more excited about ICS than the phone. The specs aren't all that great. I'm sure our phone can run it and sooner than later there will be all types of ports popping up.
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Thank you. I'm glad I'm not the only one. Our phone is very capable of doing the same exact things as the Galaxy Nexus. The only jaw dropping thing about the Galaxy Nexus is software. Come on guys, don't let it fool you. The only thing I admire about the Galaxy Nexus is its screen. Other than that who cares? I'm just glad that the hardware wasn't too groundbreaking that our phone couldn't keep up. The screen is the highlight as far as hardware is concerned on the GN. we have the same ram, a better front facing cam (2mp on the GS2 vs 1.3mp on the GN), nfc, we both shoot 1080p and we even have a 8mp camera vs the 5mp on the GN which I bet is just as good. MOST IMPORTANTLY WE WILL NOT BE OUT OF DATE OR MISSING ANYTHING! CONSIDER THE NEXT NEXUS DEVICE (the one after the Galaxy Nexus) OUR OFFICIAL UPGRADE PHONE.
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mbernusg said:
Were most likely getting an update to ics.. that being said our phone spec wise outperforms the galaxy nexus save for screen size..
That being said to answer your question no I don't feel that way.. im sticking with this sexpot
Ics rips off alot of feature already available in touchwiz circa vibrant
Sent from my SGH-T989
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Its honestly a give and take. What I'm very much interested in is seeing how HTC, Samsung and Motorola will skin ICS. That would be interesting!
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iPathik said:
When I saw the T-Mobile version of the Galaxy S2...My jaw dropped and the instance I saw it...i made up my mind saying YES! I am getting that phone no matter what!
When I saw the Galaxy Nexus...I just didnt get that feeling...Yea, its a nice phone but i still find my GS2 more hotter in design...hardware is not that different infact our phone has a faster processor...In terms of ICS yes, my jaw dropped and i cant wait for us to get it on the GS2 but i'll be keeping my GS2 until Galaxy S3 comes out with a 5" screen with ICS on it lol
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Yeah, the GN is very plain looking. Nothing exotic about the design at all. No character!
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mbernusg said:
Were most likely getting an update to ics.. that being said our phone spec wise outperforms the galaxy nexus save for screen size..
That being said to answer your question no I don't feel that way.. im sticking with this sexpot
Ics rips off alot of feature already available in touchwiz circa vibrant
Sent from my SGH-T989
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It rips off cyanogenmod, miui, sense and touchwiz. Also the 1.5 snap dragon is only faster if all you care about is a number on a spec sheet. It's actually a little slower than the 1.2 exynos.
As for aesthetics I like the gn. And from what I've read it will have all the bands so mayhaps ill get it off contract. Not sure yet.
Sent from my Nexus S MV from the XDA Premium app.
Ill tell you what I do want. The new Google Apps like Gmail and Google maps. I thought Gmail looked awesome. I'm sure some of the Google apps they didn't show got some nice updates too. Just hope they will work before we officially get ICS.
Jjday7 said:
Ill tell you what I do want. The new Google Apps like Gmail and Google maps. I thought Gmail looked awesome. I'm sure some of the Google apparently they didn't show got some nice updates too. Just hope they will work before we officially get ICS.
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I'm exciting for the software and software only.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Even thoughi don't really like Motorola devices I have to say it
Droid RAZR>SGS2>nexus prime
Software isn't a selling point considering ics roms will be all over the place and eventually (probably) available to all three devices
kenvan19 said:
It rips off cyanogenmod, miui, sense and touchwiz. Also the 1.5 snap dragon is only faster if all you care about is a number on a spec sheet. It's actually a little slower than the 1.2 exynos.
As for aesthetics I like the gn. And from what I've read it will have all the bands so mayhaps ill get it off contract. Not sure yet.
Sent from my Nexus S MV from the XDA Premium app.
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True, but the Galaxy Nexus doesn't use the 1.2 exynos, it uses a Texas instruments 1.2ghz.
I was more intrigued by the ICS stuff more than the galaxy nexus. The screen resolution would be nice, but I don't think I can go any larger than the 4.5" GS2 screen....
Yes I agree!! I am loving the new touchwiz and know that an ics version would be very interesting
OuncE718 said:
Its honestly a give and take. What I'm very much interested in is seeing how HTC, Samsung and Motorola will skin ICS. That would be interesting!
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
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Sent from my SGH-T989
I have gone through nine rezouds and probably thus have ample leverage for a different phone. I'm honestly fed up with it at this point. (No none of them were fraud they were legitimately flawed) anyway since you all own one of the devices I figured you could help me make an informed decision. Don't be too biased lol.
Sent from my tin can using a string.
if you have the ability to take one or the other, I'd definitely pick the S3.. I played around with a store model for 20 minutes and already loved it so much that I signed a new contract on the spot (my old one with the nexus was near the end of it's life so it was free for me to change). Honestly the S3 is so quick it's not funny and the camera is absolutely amazing.
You come to the Nexus forum to ask which phone you should get?
ha, you've already made your decision.
Sent from the future.
SocialReject said:
You come to the Nexus forum to ask which phone you should get?
ha, you've already made your decision.
Sent from the future.
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Not necessarily. I figured I would ask one group who ones one of the phones their opinion. Since the S3 hasn't been released in the US yet I figured I would ask you all. I doubt I can really make a bad decision here.
So im guessing for Verizon? If so i would go with the S3 its newer its a bit bigger and the camera is a phenomenal. You can't go wrong with either but with the nexus you get software superiority but with the S3 you get the hardware superiority.
Sent From My Sprint Galaxy Nexus via XDA Premium
ÜBER™ said:
with the nexus you get software superiority but with the S3 you get the hardware superiority.
Sent From My Sprint Galaxy Nexus via XDA Premium
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What's the use of the hardware superiority when there is no good software to run it
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rayiskon said:
What's the use of the hardware superiority when there is no good software to run it
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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Eh the S3 software isn't bad coming from an OG epic I didn't like old touchwiz. But the new TW is quite appealing although waiting for Jelly Bean would keep me away from it as I pay so much for it I expect it to run the latest version of android. But development for it should be sufficient.
Sent From My Sprint Galaxy Nexus via XDA Premium
Which SIII: North American (dual-core) or International (quad-core)? Sick hardware either way... and throw Apex Launcher on if you hate TouchWiz and don't want to root; it rocks on my girlfriend's SII, so I can only imagine on the SIII. I honestly prefer the way my Nexus looks and the stock experience though.
Honestly the S3 does not blow me away like it does for others. I think most of the hype about it is the same as any new phone from month to month. I think the S3 has some great qualities unique to itself as does the Nexus. However, most features can be duplicated with equal performance on the Nexus. Its like going to college. I could have learned the same things for about $20 in late fees at the library. But I would not be able to brag that I have a degree. So if you want the latest and greatest (for the moment) go for the S3. If you prefer a Nexus experience then get a Nexus. Either way you cant go wrong in my opinion.
I have gone through nine rezouds
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What did you do to them?
For the same price, I'd say SGS3. The only reason I wouldn't get a SGS3 is because there's not a vast improvement that is worth getting a new phone. But if I had say, a One S, I'd choose the SGS3, the one with the dual A15s instead of 4 A9s.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus running AOKP+Franco
I was very skeptical which was why I went for the Note first, but the Nexus is really the best smartphone I've ever used. If you care about customization then this is the device to go with, but if you don't mind using the interface that manufacturer/carriers give you, then go with the SIII. I just love how open the Nexus is, so easy to root and customize. If you have not use lots of custom roms before, this device seems very bare and light, but that is the advantage.
I bought the Nexus immediately after the SIII was announced because I didn't felt it was a major upgrade and the Nexus was going for $300 less. The most intensive thing I'll be doing is watch HD 1080p and the Nexus does it smoother than the Note. I feel buying the SIII would be a step backward to the freedom the Nexus provided. It's not pentaband, so I would have to wait for T-Mobile version to use their 3G. My family uses ATT so I can always hand the Nexus to them and not have to worry about 3G compatibilities. Though I heard T-Mobile SIII will support ATT 3G bands. In addition, the American version will be using proprietary Qualcomm CPU and GPU, I would have to wait longer for CM9 and AOKP roms and who knows if the development will be good as international version, which Samsung already released the source code for.
There is a major flaw with Nexus which is lacking microSD slot. Also the SIII use the same Sony camera sensor as iPhone 4S so it will take better photos and have fast shutter like the Nexus.
I'm keeping my eyes on the SIII, but I want to wait till there are lots of stable roms for the T-Mobile version and if the price go down enough by end of year holidays. Right now I rather wait for the next Nexus phone. It seems like a good phone, but isn't ground breaking like the SII was, especially in term of durability like some youtube drop test has shown.
Go Nexus or wait.
Pocketnow.com has a great overview of the GSIII that points out some niggles with how Samsung changed ICS over what you get on the Nexus. Button and menu placement. Terrible keyboard and how the phone is very slippery in hand.
I have a Nexus and Razor Maxx and would not trade either for the SIII.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1642801
JaiaV said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1642801
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^^^^^^^^^^^
Hi!
I just wanted your opinion of choosing between those two.
So I just sold my Sony Ericsson Arc S. It was a good phone, but since I'm addicted to my phone, and do everything possible with it(I hardly use computer anymore!), I decided to buy a dual-core phone!(Yeah, I'm always on the later era) Arc was way too slow.
Basically Nexus is 30€s cheaper than S2, but that's not a game changer.
I like the design of Nexus more. On the other hand S2 is more powerful. Nexus has bigger and better screen etc.
But one thing I appreciate the most, is the community. I've had a couple of Android phones before, and I've been pretty active here on Xda lately. I love flashing new roms and so on. S2 is the second most sold phone in the world, so I bet it has bigger community here, but quality over quantity.
Nexus has roms like MIUI and Cyanogenmod too. Also I see hundreds of roms in XDA. Anyway, I can't compare those two by looking at the roms they have, that's why I asked you guys.
It's such a hard decision... Please help!
BTW: I'm too cheap to buy S3 or ONE
And I'm European so I'd be only interested in the international version obviously! (No T-Mobile or Verizon etc...)
EDIT: I read that Nexus has more powerful chipset while S2 has better GPU? Is that correct?
I have both the nexus and the sgs2. And I'd say go with the nexus. The SGS2 is now my spare phone. Although specs wise the SGS2 other than screen resolution. On this note the nexus 720p screen can be the real deal breaker over the wvga screen on SGS2.
People can debate about specs all day but the Nexus is definitely way more fluid. Also you get all sorts of custom rooms and kernels to tweak the nexus to get that little bit more.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
If you like a phone with an appealing UI with vanilla android and is super easy to install and try out custom ROMs on, go with a Galaxy Nexus.
If you want a phone with an ugly UI, Samsung's ****ty firmware yada yada yada, go with an S2.
The Galaxy Nexus also has HD resolution, bigger and better screen there's a ton of support ready for you if you ever need help. Also, pair AOKP with Franciscofranco's kernel and you won't believe how fast this phone is.
loonsy said:
I have both the nexus and the sgs2. And I'd say go with the nexus. The SGS2 is now my spare phone. Although specs wise the SGS2 other than screen resolution. On this note the nexus 720p screen can be the real deal breaker over the wvga screen on SGS2.
People can debate about specs all day but the Nexus is definitely way more fluid. Also you get all sorts of custom rooms and kernels to tweak the nexus to get that little bit more.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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Thanks for answer!
I thought myself that while S2 may be a bit more powerful, it doesn't mean Nexus couldn't run all those nice games, it is anyway a dual-core phone.
What about the battery life?
So far I think I'll go for GNexus... It's more... exotic! and I really like the screen. I just need to be very sure about it, I have bought so many phones just to get disappointed at them after two months... Though these two are pretty high-end phones(for me anyway!)
Thank you too, Theshawty! It doesn't mean that while S2 has more roms, it's automatically better. Nexus has pretty cool roms as far as I know
And I'm pretty damn sure Google's support is more reliable than Sam's
The SGS2 has a worse screen, but a better performance because of it. The Nexus on the other hand, has double the pixels, but a worse performance. SGS2 will run games smoother, but it won't look as good as when the Nexus runs it. Performance vs Great screen.
Dev support is good on both ones, but Nexus will be much better long term compared to the SGS2.
ArmorD said:
Thank you too, Theshawty! It doesn't mean that while S2 has more roms, it's automatically better. Nexus has pretty cool roms as far as I know
And I'm pretty damn sure Google's support is more reliable than Sam's
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You're welcome! Yeah, the ROMs we have so far here are great, and they're starting to pile up to become even more since afterall, this phone has a "developer-flag".
Samsung's support is ****, in my opinion.
Theshawty said:
If you like a phone with an appealing UI with vanilla android and is super easy to install and try out custom ROMs on, go with a Galaxy Nexus.
If you want a phone with an ugly UI, Samsung's ****ty firmware yada yada yada, go with an S2.
The Galaxy Nexus also has HD resolution, bigger and better screen there's a ton of support ready for you if you ever need help. Also, pair AOKP with Franciscofranco's kernel and you won't believe how fast this phone is.
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What a sad misconception. The S2 has AOSP roms just like the Nexus does. They have AOKP just like the nexus does, and they have awesome kernels as well.
What it really comes down to is screen size/resolution and size of the phone. Both will run ICS just fine.
joshnichols189 said:
What a sad misconception. The S2 has AOSP roms just like the Nexus does. They have AOKP just like the nexus does, and they have awesome kernels as well.
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What I wrote first was basically if someone chooses to stay with the stock firmware and not use a custom ROM.
Theshawty said:
What I wrote first was basically if someone chooses to stay with the stock firmware and not use a custom ROM.
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It would be true in that case, but he mentions community so one could be lead to believe that he will flash roms
Thanks to evrybody! I think I'll pick GNex... It's just such a hard choice... But it's a lil' bit cheaper and I really appreciate the bigger/better screen.
One thing that I wanna know the answer to, is, how long will Google support GNex? I reckon it'll get the next Android upgrade unless it's tablet-only, but what about after that? Time to move on?
joshnichols189 said:
It would be true in that case, but he mentions community so one could be lead to believe that he will flash roms
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Ah, ok.
If you want a higher camera and you don't care about the os version or blah blah, go with S2
But I recommend you to get GNex! It's awesome!
Better screen quality, Stock Android OS, Will be upgradable to JellyBean, Lots of good roms, ...
I basically need to decide between these two phones, on Sprint. The pros and cons from my point of view are the following:
Pros
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GNex: better aesthetics (imo), no physical buttons, Nexus device thus great ROMs/Community, no annoying partition scheme for the 32GB
GS3: better specs, larger screen (possibly a con, lol), sdcard slot, potential for great community due to widespread distribution and popularity, better camera, more overall space
Cons
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GNex: no sdcard slot, slower specs
GS3: physical/capacitive buttons, and while it has excitement around it now, who knows if there will be a dev community 6-9 months from now or how long it will take to get ROM updates with new versions of Android (incl. jelly bean) with fully functioning parts, seems to split the 32GB up into 16/16 for apps/media, which I hate, I want it all for whatever I want (or say, 32GB all for apps, then put media on sdcard!)
Other thoughts
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-I do not live in an LTE launch area, and honestly, likely won't for at least 9-12 months if not longer. I have awesome wifi at home/work though so Sprint's crappy 3G is bearable, most of the time.
-I have an EVO 3D now, and finally, as of like a month ago, I have a working ICS rom with camera that is AOSP, but for most of the last 12 months I've had to decide between Sense (which I hate), ICS without features (such as camera/bt), or Gingerbread. I REALLY don't want to end up in that situation again
-I much much much much prefer AOSP roms and will be rooting/flashing the moment anything is available for the GS3 or the moment I get home for the GNex
-I've had various phones (see sig), but my N1 was hands down my favorite phone
I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but I appreciate any thoughts and commentary!
In short, I want the best specs I can get on Sprint, but desperately want an active dev community and plenty of ROMs, and though the GS3 has better specs, it's too early to know for sure about the community months from now, and plus, I like the software buttons and the look of the GNex. I am indecisive :-/
edit: the only real concern I have about the specs is gaming or media playback (via plex)
Played with it for 2 hours and I could not deal with the touch wiz crap. Felt like I was on the GS2 all over again. I like my GNexus that I picked up yesterday.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
If you want an aosp device the gnex is the obvious option. Especially with this jelly bean port we have for the sprint nexus its amazing.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I'm not in the US but I have both the GN and SGS3 (i9300) version. Just to let you know the size of the SGS3 isn't that much bigger than the GN. It looks like you are looking for a AOSP experience so I would say you should go with the GN, I loaded JellyBean on it and it is super smooth, but don't get me wrong the SGS3 is a beautiful devices and I'm sure somebody will be porting AOKP or CM9 over to the Sprint version soon as it is already on the i9300.
I hate touchwiz as well so I loaded a custom ROM and used Nova Launcher. Good luck in deciding but you won't regret either device.
From the responses from you guys, I am definitely leaning towards the GNex. I have been browsing around the Sprint development section on here, and there's definitely a lot of activity (which doesn't surprise me). And AOSP is very much my cup of tea, I have no desire for TouchWiz. I know the GS3 will have ports and all, but the Sprint one doesn't seem to have anything in terms of JB yet, whereas the GNex JB porting seems all but completely done already.
My EVO 3D has the Qualcomm MSM8660, 2 cores at 1.2 GHz at stock speeds, and the GNex has the TI OMAP 4460, also 2 cores at 1.2 GHz at stock. I know when the GNex first came out, some people were disappointed in the processor. Have any of you found it to be insufficient? I know it can be overclocked, and I'm sure I will so long as it doesn't cause too much battery loss, but is it sufficient for higher-end games? I looked at the GPUs (Adreno 220 vs. PowerVR SGX540), too, but my knowledge of mobile GPUs is practically nonexistent...
I think the OMAP is plenty powerful, I haven't really found a want for more CPU power ESPECIALLY after Jelly Bean. Device just fly's now.
The main difference between the GS3 and the Gnex is going to be the GPU. Now I don't really game on mobile devices (hardcore gamer on PC and consoles all my life, so the "great" mobile games don't do anything for me only the crazy ones do like Edge or Osmos) but it has been brought to my attention multiple times of people having only just enough performance for high end games.
I've played a little shadowgun, mostly just to test USB OTG and a PS3 controller lol, and that game runs smooth enough. Could use a little more power here and there though.
I think the other benefits of Gnex far outweigh this though. Even more so if you buy retail since it's almost half the price for, what I think, is a much better phone and mobile experience.
I came from a gs2 and this phone is a breath of fresh air. No more waiting for OTAs either!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
And like the guy above me said, its about mobile experience not necessarily newest tech
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
It depends on your usage, if directed to games, go for GS3, in my view, any kind of use out of it, go with GN.
The GN screen is even dimmer than the SGS3. That is a serious con. Battery is much much lower also. Plus no SD and only 5Mpx camera (which produces bad video).
Still, the GN is awesome in other things, like the on screen buttons and updates. It probably will also get Android 5.0. The back cover is better to hold.
I think the next Nexus will be a LOT better. Im sure it will have an IPS display, like the Nexus 7, plus quad core with JB will be awesome. It if were here today I would have bought it over the SGS3.
For development and if its your main purpose, Nexus hands down.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
i too am in the same situation i have always love the gs series however they never realease ota's chances of you getting jb on it a high however you won't get it until 5.0 is released while the nexus will have it months and months before it but the camera is kinda a deal breaker for me i don't use the camera so that isn't a issue for me..
Trust me when I tell you, since you do a lot of hacking, Nexus will be the best choice hands down. Yes, it has slower spec and no sd card... I was complaining too, but after few days, that doesn't seem to matter for me anymore.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
Hi, I know we all want the Jelly Bean, but I think with the Snapdragon S4 Pro quad core ICS is good enugh . I have a Galaxy Nexus with 4.1.2 and a Galaxy s3 At&t with ICS. GS3 with Snapdragon S4 dual core very fast and I installed CM10 jelly bean 4.1.2 on the GS3 and its the same speed. So the Jelly Bean was good for Galaxy Nexus, because it mad it faster and smoother the outdated dual core.
So for this phone the ICS is super fast.
The only thing we need is boot loader unlocked and its going to rain with the beautiful ROMs from our hardworking DEV's .
Using xda premium
Agree. I haven't had any slowdown whatsoever, and I'm using Eco Mode for the significantly better battery life. Still no lag.
A
I agree
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
I disagree.
Google now is preferable, and no one is going to seriously want to have a phone that is stuck on 4.0 for 2 years until an upgrade.
Even if it gets Jellybean in December and then another upgrade 6 months from then it's still another 16 months without an upgrade and no updates would be a lot of ticked off users.
I say keep bugging LG for an unlocked bootloader, and keep paying attention to how close the devs are to getting done .
Snow_fox said:
I disagree.
Google now is preferable, and no one is going to seriously want to have a phone that is stuck on 4.0 for 2 years until an upgrade.
Even if it gets Jellybean in December and then another upgrade 6 months from then it's still another 16 months without an upgrade and no updates would be a lot of ticked off users.
I say keep bugging LG for an unlocked bootloader, and keep paying attention to how close the devs are to getting done .
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Google Now is nice , but I personally don't like to talk to my phone. I can do the same with my fingers. I think its stupid to talk to the phone. Its still not there.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
samomamo said:
Google Now is nice , but I personally don't like to talk to my phone. I can do the same with my fingers. I think its stupid to talk to the phone. Its still not there.
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The voice search part of Google Now is ONLY a small part of the service. Google Now is extremely convenient and provides very helpful info without having to do anything.
Yeah, but on every JB device I have, Google Now chews up a lot of battery. So I typically keep it turned off.
Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2
Most phones will be behind anyway. Only a hand full of phones have jelly been. I want it as much as the next guy but most people that have android phones don't even know about jb. I work with two guys that have android phones and never herd of ice or jb. I had to tell them about it. They just go and get what they like and never worry about it. If it comes great if not then so be it. Im sure it will come sooner then we think especially if we don't think about it and just enjoy a really good phone. There is always the LG nexus if it's really that important.
Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2
I for one like the expandable notifications in JB. If LG wants to really set themselves apart they will be quick with the updates.
Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2
If we add how much more stuff LG's UI has comparing to pure JB.
When I agreed that ICS is "good enough," I mostly meant in the performance arena. I definitely want Google Now and the new JB features, but Project Butter was a big selling point for JB and this Optimus simply doesn't have any lag even with ICS. I'm really liking it.
Now, on to custom development...
I have 3 devices w/jb, and in my opinion it really isn't that big of a deal. Now is kind of neat, but uses a lot of battery (on all my devices anyway), and the interface speed improvements are OK.
To be honest, though, the interface on this OG feels faster and smoother than any of my jb devices.
Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2
samomamo said:
Google Now is nice , but I personally don't like to talk to my phone. I can do the same with my fingers. I think its stupid to talk to the phone. Its still not there.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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That's fine but, when "banana split" comes out or "licorice" or some other sweet android version comes out with a feature that you can't get despite wanting, don't pretend you will still be happy with your phone then.
You don't compare the ability to receive updates to what's out, you have to consider the future and unaccounted for variables.
spacecasespiff said:
Most phones will be behind anyway. Only a hand full of phones have jelly been. I want it as much as the next guy but most people that have android phones don't even know about jb. I work with two guys that have android phones and never herd of ice or jb. I had to tell them about it. They just go and get what they like and never worry about it. If it comes great if not then so be it. Im sure it will come sooner then we think especially if we don't think about it and just enjoy a really good phone. There is always the LG nexus if it's really that important.
Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2
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My 2 year old captivate is sitting on Jellybean right now. I don't care what "average Joe" knows about. I care about the future.
I'm not saying people shouldn't be happy with ICS for now but, I am saying to sit around and say "good enough" is setting yourself up to be in a nasty position when a new version of android rolls out that you can't get. If I had this phone I most certainly wouldn't be in any major rush for Jellybean and I'll be the first to admit it..
The problem is this entire thread reads as though people will be happy with this phone even if it sticks to ICS all the way until it's time for a new phone.. and given that this is a site dedicated to users who want the newest version when possible, that just seems like the wrong impression to give.
Alpione said:
When I agreed that ICS is "good enough," I mostly meant in the performance arena. I definitely want Google Now and the new JB features, but Project Butter was a big selling point for JB and this Optimus simply doesn't have any lag even with ICS. I'm really liking it.
Now, on to custom development...
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I would probably agree with you that the performance is "good enough." It doesn't need and probably won't benefit from project butter a whole lot. At best it will see severely diminishing returns compared to some of the older hardware out there. However, performance is only one aspect of a newer android version.
JasonJoel said:
I have 3 devices w/jb, and in my opinion it really isn't that big of a deal. Now is kind of neat, but uses a lot of battery (on all my devices anyway), and the interface speed improvements are OK.
To be honest, though, the interface on this OG feels faster and smoother than any of my jb devices.
Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2
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My ancient captivate runs far smoother on JB than it ever dreamed of running on ICS.
Project butter isn't really designed to help a quadcore monster move faster it's designed to help hardware on the weaker side get better performance.
With that said, I feel like a lot of people miss the part where if this phone were to stay on ICS it could miss the next "big thing." Just imagine all the people who didn't care about upgrading to 2.3 from 2.2 because it wasn't a "big deal."
Then 4.0 comes out and a lot of apps won't run on the older 2.2 version. No chrome, no Nova launcher, no a bunch of stuff.
I'm not saying that for the time being ICS isn't "good enough." But, I do think it's important to examine what you'll be missing in the future if this thing doesn't get unlocked.
I agree that I want updates for this phone - and preferably from the community, not just the vendor. So I'm glad there are people working the bootloader issue.
Sent from my LG-E970 using Tapatalk 2
Only reason I didn't buy this phone is no JB. So no, ICS not good enough
Is there any way to add Google Now to ICS? Or does that require access we don't yet have?
I agree this is the fastest and smoothest phone to date.
matt310 said:
Is there any way to add Google Now to ICS? Or does that require access we don't yet have?
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yes, there is. I'm not exactly sure of the details as I just installed JB when it became available for my phone.
just wondering if anyone played netfix or hbogo video on this phone, do you notice any delays at all?
I just tried "Lost" on Netflix. Zero lag and loads instantly in HD over LTE.