About 2 weeks ago I posted my impressions of the Razr M (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1900089). I loved the phone, but unfortunately I was getting delays of anywhere from 3-20 minutes on receiving push notifications of Gmail and Gtalk messages while connected to wifi. I tried 2 different phones and 3 different wifi networks, and all exhibited the same delays. I loved the form factor of the phone so much though, that I was not willing to give up. So I decided to try a Razr i. I'm not going to post a full review of the Razr i because it is remarkably similar to the M. However, given that the Razr i is running a new Intel processor, I wanted to test a few things. Obviously performance would be affected by the new processor, and reviews have covered that pretty well. But what the reviews haven't covered so well is what effect, if any, does the Intel chip have on wifi, GPS, and cell signal. I'm going to cover that and a few other things here.
Wifi
Overall, I have to give a slight edge to the M's wifi. Both are perfectly fine and I have no complaints, but--at least on my router--the M gets slightly higher speeds. Below I've posted screenshots of wifi signal strength on the Razr i (left) and Razr M (right).
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The Razr i might have a slightly stronger wifi signal, but as shown in the pictures below, the M actually gets slightly higher throughput. Razr i (left), Razr M (right).
The one other comment I have is that both the Razr i and the M exhibit wifi "death grip." I might be getting a signal of -60 dBm with either phone sitting on my table, but as soon as I picked it up, it would drop to -70 or even -80 dBm. I've read reports on other forums of people completely losing their wifi signal when they pick up their Razr M. So I think there's definitely a death grip issue. Be careful how you hold your phone!
GPS
The M has a better GPS. I think the M has GLONASS support, whereas the Razr i does not. Both the M and the Razr i pick up a GPS lock extremely quickly (within 2 or 3 seconds, if not faster). But the M consistently sees more satellites, and it consistently gets a more accurate lock. If the Razr i was locked to 5 meters, the M would usually be locked to 3 meters. If the Razr i was at 10 meters, the M would usually be at 5 or 6 meters. So yeah, both are fine, but the M gets a higher score here due to GLONASS. See screenshots below. Razr i (left), Razr M (right).
Cell Signal
I could not get my M to connect to AT&T, so I compared the Razr i's HSPA signal to that of a Galaxy Nexus. My conclusion is that the Razr i has a good HSPA radio. It's signal strength measured in dBm was always equal to or slightly better than that of the Galaxy Nexus. And, as the screenshots below show, speed tests between the two were extremely similar. And yes, these speeds are typical of AT&T in the metro DC area. Overall, I'm satisfied with the Razr i's HSPA radio. Again, Razr i (left), Galaxy Nexus (right).
Camera
The Razr i's camera is slightly better than the Razr M's camera. It's faster, and it has a dedicated camera button. I think the pictures are also slightly better. Below I've attached a couple. All were taken in low-light environments that would be a challenge for any phone's camera. I've only posted a couple of representative samples, but I think they demonstrate that, although similar, the Razr i takes slightly better phones in low light. Razr i (left), Razr M (right).
Battery Life
I can't fully comment on this yet, but both have great battery life. On the M I was getting about 6 hours of screen on time combined with 30 hours of standby (mostly on wifi. LTE would obviously reduce that.). I haven't had the Razr i long enough to test. However, one thing I will note is that the Razr M got lots of random wakelocks. The Razr i seems to have fewer random wakelocks. As you can see in the screenshots below, the Razr i (left) is usually not awake unless the screen is on. The Razr M (right) seems to have lots of tiny wakelocks even when the screen is off.
I'm not sure if those wakelocks actually have any practical ramifications (because the battery life on the M is quite good), but I prefer the way the Razr i seems to behave when the screen is off. And yes, both phones are setup identically -- same accounts syncing, same widgets, same apps installed. So the wakelocks cannot be attributed to different setups.
A couple of other points worth noting. First, the Razr M would lose 5-6% battery overnight. Last night was the only night I've had the Razr i, but it only lost 3%. The Verge also reported that the Razr i gets much better standby battery time than does the Razr M, which is consistent with my initial impressions, but it's too early for me to tell. The Razr i probably gets a slight nod in the battery life department, but probably not by enough to make it a factor in anybody's purchasing decision.
10/6/12 noon update: I've run the Razr i through a full charge cycle, and here are the results:
For comparison, here's a result from the Razr M:
.
That had a screen on time of exactly 6 hours. (I can't attach any more pictures to this post -- I've hit the limit of 20 attachments).
I will also note that the RAZR i had GPS on and in use for 1 hour 45 minutes in its battery cycle. The M had no GPS use. But the i still beat the M pretty handily. Overall, based on these very preliminary results, I'd say it appears the i will get about 10-20% more battery life than the M... maybe even more.
Screen
I believe the screens use exactly the same panel, so you'd expect them to be about the same. And they are. To my eyes they look nearly identical. The Razr M might be a tiny bit brighter at a given setting, but for the most part, they look the same to me. I'm no videophile, but I think most people would agree.
Other thoughts
In day to day use, the phones pretty much feel exactly the same. Speed wise, they are indistinguishable to me. I do not play games, and I know that the Razr M benchmarks higher for games than does the Razr i, but for my day to day use (browsing, messaging, emails, maps, navigation, etc.) there's no noticeable performance difference at all.
Conclusion
As you would expect, these phones are extremely similar. It's hard to really give an edge to either. If you have the option to get either device, I would say it comes down to whether you want LTE or not. That's obviously the single biggest difference between the two. Although I was concerned that the Razr i, with its new Intel processor, might have issues with wifi, GPS, signal strength, etc., that does not appear to be the case at all. As far as I can tell, it performs just as well in those areas as do the more established SoCs like the Snapdragon S4.
If any of my thoughts change or develop as I continue to use the Razr i over the next few days, I'll update this post. For the time being though, I'm planning to return the M and keep the Razr i. Not because of any performance differences, but because for me, the Razr M had delayed push notifications on wifi, and the Razr i does not. After my first 24 hours with the Razr i, I have no complaints about the phone. But of course, complaints usually take longer than 24 hours to develop
Nice review! Can you do 720/1080p MKV/DivX play test? I'm interested how well can Razr i handle them (with MX Video Player or stock player). The quick one will do...
Are you with AT&T AND Verizon?
Also, the Galaxy Nexus is "only" capable of HSPA+21, not HSPA+42 (maybe 42 is just a Tmobile thing?). So I wonder how the Razr I would do on a network that can do 42? Again, I simply am not familiar enough with AT&T's network any more... maybe it can do 42.
Simplestas said:
Nice review! Can you do 720/1080p MKV/DivX play test? I'm interested how well can Razr i handle them (with MX Video Player or stock player). The quick one will do...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you give me a link to a video file to download? If so I'll happily test.
-Sent from my Razr i on AT&T.-
jntdroid said:
Are you with AT&T AND Verizon?
Also, the Galaxy Nexus is "only" capable of HSPA+21, not HSPA+42 (maybe 42 is just a Tmobile thing?). So I wonder how the Razr I would do on a network that can do 42? Again, I simply am not familiar enough with AT&T's network any more... maybe it can do 42.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had AT&T for awhile and signed up for Verizon just for the Razr M. Since the i doesn't have the delayed notification problems that the M had for me, I'll probably return the M, cancel Verizon, and stick with AT&T.
AT&T's top network speed is 21mbps. So 42 vs 21 shouldn't matter on AT&T. I think the i also only supports 21mbps (but could be wrong) so I don't think you'd see any boost on a 42 mbps network. Also I do not think the i supports T-Mobile's HSPA bands, so I don't think you'd get anything except 2g on T-Mobile.
I think jonmorris posted a screenshot showing a speed test of 12 mbps on his i, but that's the highest I've seen.
-Sent from my Razr i on AT&T.-
phositadc said:
I've had AT&T for awhile and signed up for Verizon just for the Razr M. Since the i doesn't have the delayed notification problems that the M had for me, I'll probably return the M, cancel Verizon, and stick with AT&T.
AT&T's top network speed is 21mbps. So 42 vs 21 shouldn't matter on AT&T. I think the i also only supports 21mbps (but could be wrong) so I don't think you'd see any boost on a 42 mbps network. Also I do not think the i supports T-Mobile's HSPA bands, so I don't think you'd get anything except 2g on T-Mobile.
I think jonmorris posted a screenshot showing a speed test of 12 mbps on his i, but that's the highest I've seen.
-Sent from my Razr i on AT&T.-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T-Mobile USA if your 1900 Mhz refarm has hit your area you should be getting at least HSDPA, maybe HSPA+ depends on area I think.
Check here if you are near the areas:
http://www.airportal.de/
mattlgroff said:
T-Mobile USA if your 1900 Mhz refarm has hit your area you should be getting at least HSDPA, maybe HSPA+ depends on area I think.
Check here if you are near the areas:
http://www.airportal.de/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that link - been trying to find a good way to track that. Tmo has some great value plans.
Great review. From everything I've read, it sounds like you and I agree on the main difference point...LTE. I really don't care much about LTE, and so far, there haven't been any models of the M released that will support the flavor of LTE that T-Mobile will release next year anyway, so I'm really leaning toward the i at this point.
That refarm cannot happen fast enough.
jntdroid said:
Thanks for that link - been trying to find a good way to track that. Tmo has some great value plans.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah T-Mobile has some amazing plans. I tested the $30/month prepaid plan with an HTC One S here in the D.C. area and it got speeds of 15-20 mbps. It was literally as fast as AT&T or Verizon LTE. Problem was, 2 or 3 times per week I'd be somewhere getting either no signal at all or only 2g, where my wife would be getting a solid 3g signal on AT&T. Decided I couldn't tolerate the poor coverage so I did not reload for a second month, but the service was awesome--and amazingly cheap--where I got a solid HSPA signal. If only AT&T had a comparable plan...!
-Sent from my Razr i on AT&T.-
freak4dell said:
Great review. From everything I've read, it sounds like you and I agree on the main difference point...LTE. I really don't care much about LTE, and so far, there haven't been any models of the M released that will support the flavor of LTE that T-Mobile will release next year anyway, so I'm really leaning toward the i at this point.
That refarm cannot happen fast enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, and yep I agree LTE is over hyped. I never do anything on my phone where I need more than the 3-5 mbps I get on HSPA. Heck, 1 mbps is more than enough for most of what I do! I'd rather have slower speeds and better battery life than LTE, personally.
-Sent from my Razr i on AT&T.-
phositadc said:
Thanks, and yep I agree LTE is over hyped. I never do anything on my phone where I need more than the 3-5 mbps I get on HSPA. Heck, 1 mbps is more than enough for most of what I do! I'd rather have slower speeds and better battery life than LTE, personally.
-Sent from my Razr i on AT&T.-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
phositadc have you rooted yet? I rooted mine but haven't made any mods yet, waiting until kernel source to make custom reovery.
Also, can you confirm your System Version? Mine is 81.5.31002.XT890.Retail.en.GB.
mattlgroff said:
phositadc have you rooted yet? I rooted mine but haven't made any mods yet, waiting until kernel source to make custom reovery.
Also, can you confirm your System Version? Mine is 81.5.31002.XT890.Retail.en.GB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope I'm not a dev. Could you post a guide? I already know how to install the sdk and use fastboot commands so I just need specific instructions and files for the Razr i. Although maybe I should wait for a custom recovery so I can make a nandroid first.
See attached image for system version.
Random question for you. Is your dedicated camera button flush with the body of the phone, or does it stick up/protrude from the phone's frame at all? Mine is flush.
-Sent from my Razr i on AT&T.-
I think I read somewhere that they made it flush in order to prevent accidental presses. I know I'd probably easily get it confused with the power button, since I end up putting my phone upside down in my pocket half the time.
freak4dell said:
I think I read somewhere that they made it flush in order to prevent accidental presses. I know I'd probably easily get it confused with the power button, since I end up putting my phone upside down in my pocket half the time.
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Click to collapse
I don't think you'd mistake them. The power button does protrude a bit so it's easy to tell which is which.
-Sent from my Razr i on AT&T.-
phositadc said:
I don't think you'd mistake them. The power button does protrude a bit so it's easy to tell which is which.
-Sent from my Razr i on AT&T.-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, yeah. I just meant that if they both protruded, I'd probably get them confused.
Another nice thing about the camera button being flush is that the M cases all fit
:laugh:
dew.man said:
Another nice thing about the camera button being flush is that the M cases all fit
:laugh:
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Click to collapse
Exactly. Have any of the major case manufacturers put a case out yet? Or are Verizon and cheap eBay cases the only options still?
-Sent from my Razr i on AT&T.-
phositadc said:
Nope I'm not a dev. Could you post a guide? I already know how to install the sdk and use fastboot commands so I just need specific instructions and files for the Razr i. Although maybe I should wait for a custom recovery so I can make a nandroid first.
See attached image for system version.
Random question for you. Is your dedicated camera button flush with the body of the phone, or does it stick up/protrude from the phone's frame at all? Mine is flush.
-Sent from my Razr i on AT&T.-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine is flush as well.
I got a guide already up
http://www.droidrzr.com/index.php/topic/4716-how-to-root-your-razr-i/
mattlgroff said:
Mine is flush as well.
I got a guide already up
http://www.droidrzr.com/index.php/topic/4716-how-to-root-your-razr-i/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice I'll check that out soon.
-Sent from my Razr i on AT&T.-
phositadc said:
Thanks, and yep I agree LTE is over hyped. I never do anything on my phone where I need more than the 3-5 mbps I get on HSPA. Heck, 1 mbps is more than enough for most of what I do! I'd rather have slower speeds and better battery life than LTE, personally.
-Sent from my Razr i on AT&T.-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you do turn off LTE because whenever I seem to do that battery life is the same whether it's on or off?
Sent from my XT907 using xda premium
Related
Good honest review from my coworker between the two phones, Verizon Galaxy-Nexus and Sprint Galaxy SII
My coworker just bought the Verizon Galaxy-Nexus, coming from an old HTC Incredible, that was damaged. He is not a [H]ard geek, but likes new tech. He was comparing to my Sprint Galaxy SII, that is rooted, with custom ROM, and ICS theme. He actually likes my phone better he said after a day with his new Nexus.
Some of his complaints on the Nexus;
- Speaker is very low, even at max hard to hear GPS navigation
- Screen is not that bright, looks good he says, but not what he expected after all the hype.
- Battery life totally blows he said, on his second day, and battery gets low quickly after a full charge. Lasts half a day.
- Phone is fast, but not butter smooth, there is slight lag here and there sometimes.
- Android 4.0 ICS is hard for him to get used to, feels almost alien to him after having an HTC Sense device running Froyo. He said needs awhile to still figuring everything out.
Now he compared it to my Galaxy SII with same points;
- Speaker is very loud and clear on my phone, loudest he's heard on a phone.
- GS2 is not high res, but still looks very clear, and extremely colorful.
- Battery life on my SII lasts a full day easily.
- Pretty much zero lag on my device he says, where the Nexus does have a little.
- I am on Android 2.3.6 with custom ROM + Theme, hard to really compare, I prefer full 4.0 ICS myself, but he's on the fence he said, almost prefers my tweaked Touchwiz 4.0 better.
My opinion, would be a full stable ICS ROM running on our Sprint GS2, might be a tad faster/smoother than the Galaxy-Nexus. But Verizon has us on the network speeds, not even talking about LTE vs WiMax, but their 3G is almost as fast as our 4G. Sprint's network just blows lately in Chicago_land, 3G is a ****ing joke.
Nice write up. My take is its more about the data network than the hardware. Sure some people will prefer pure ICS, but we'll have it on this phone at some point.
I do wish i had better data speeds sometimes but I can live with it.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
I'm still on the fence. I could go and trade my E4GT in right now for it and walk out with $50 best buy credit...but I love my unlimited data. I go hog-effing-wild on data. Though that has gotten pretty difficult on Sprint these days. Verizon 3G is much faster in my area and LTE is just...wow. As for the phone itself, well, I like the zero-shutter-lag on the camera. The panel has the same amount of sub-pixels as ours, so, I'm really curious to see the difference between the two screens up close both set to 160 DPI....I'm willing to bet it's probably going to be close to a draw for most things. We also have a superior CPU and GPU. Vastly superior? Not really...but enough to measure reliably.
But to have a Nexus device...guaranteed first-in-line updates are nice. "Just unlocking it" 'cuz you are allowed to...that's nice, though a moot point given how easy this phone was to get into. Not to mention pretty much guaranteed CM support, MIUI as well...and Nexus devices seem to just be smoother than any device built off the same platform. Nexus One and Evo4G were on the identical platform, save for a few minor differences (CDMA, FFC, HDMI, FPS cap lol) and an N1 smoked an Evo in day to day performance, even on the same ROM....same for the GalaxyS vs the NexusS...even though they were on the identical platform. Though I'm not so sure there will ever be another OMAP Samsung phone, I could be wrong. I never thought there would be a Snapdragon GalaxyS2 either.
...and I have gadgetitis, it's been exactly 3 months since I got a new phone, lol. That's pretty much exactly when I usually get a new one.
I want to see one in person, then I'll make my mind.
I was just gonna reply to your thread over on Hard Forum. I have a friend who's got one as well. My personal opinion is that I like the GS2 better. It is faster, smoother, has a better screen (imo), has a better camera and a louder speaker.
I appreciate Google's idea behind the Nexus phones. However, even with the last Nexus S, there were some shortcomings the phone had in comparison to other hardware that was already out on the market.
I'm pretty content with my GS2 after using the GNexus for a bit.
Deleted by me
Keep lying to yourselves.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
awesomeindeed said:
I was just gonna reply to your thread over on Hard Forum. I have a friend who's got one as well. My personal opinion is that I like the GS2 better. It is faster, smoother, has a better screen (imo), has a better camera and a louder speaker.
I appreciate Google's idea behind the Nexus phones. However, even with the last Nexus S, there were some shortcomings the phone had in comparison to other hardware that was already out on the market.
I'm pretty content with my GS2 after using the GNexus for a bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hola [H]ard buddy
Yeah after seeing the magical Nexus in my owns hands, I was not as wow'd and impressed like I thought I would be. This is supposed to be the second coming, and god of all phones, and compared to my rooted GS2, I just don't see a night and day difference. Yes the Nexus is a better device, but barely, and put ICS on both phones, and the difference really goes away.
The Nexus screen seems dark, and just not as colorful as my GS2. The loud speaker is a major bummer on the Nexus, can barely hear the thing. And there is an ever so slightly lag once in a while, that I don't get on my GS2.
But it has ICS which is cool, and the Verizon network is light years ahead of Sprint's, just the 3G comparison is is like an NHL team playing a little league club. Totally destroys it.
The nexus phones are always over hyped, especially the prime had some crazy rumors.
I'm sure people are disappointed it wasn't everything it could have been
The pros of the nexus are the screen, nfc, and the Google support/development. Everything else is comparable or worse than the GS2, like the gpu, cameras, battery.
Also I like the att variant more than all the others mostly because its the right size and has NFC (I think)
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Rem3Dy said:
Keep lying to yourselves.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Given how neck-and-neck these devices are with each other on most fronts and there is an extreme case of one-is-better-here and other-is-better-there...umm...what I'm saying is I have no idea which position is supposed to be the obvious one that some of us are in denial of.
SGS2 is faster. The GNex is 720p. The Gnex has ICS. The SGS2 will have ICS. Gnex camera is faster, SGS2 camera is more detailed. The screen size is effectively the same. The sub-pixel count is completely 100% identical. GNex gets more pixels. SGS2 gets more sub-pixels per pixel.
The fact that the Gnex has LTE is irrelevant...of course it does, it's a flagship device on Verizon. We get unlimited data...of course we do, we're on Sprint.
Which device is obviously better, to you? I'm seriously considering buying one, tonight...right now, actually, and I would love a compelling case for the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon, but, try as hard as I may I can't come up with one myself.
Well the GSII on sprint is an awesome phone. The thing holding it back is Sprint. I just switched to Verizon yesterday at 9 AM to get the Galaxy Nexus and man, I'm glad I did. The hardware is amazing, but the data speeds increase is night and day. I've been researching carriers in my area for about a month and a half now and Verizon had consistently more coverage and faster data speeds.
I had the GSII and I actually like the design of that phone better. But overall I like the Galaxy Nexus a lot better.
Not to mention I get 20 percent off my data part of my plan and then 19 percent off my entire bill, 25 percent off accessories and I was able to snag an extra battery with external charging kit bundled with the phone. Gotta love employer discounts. I'll end up paying less with Verizon than I ever did with sprint, with usable data.
spencer88 said:
Well the GSII on sprint is an awesome phone. The thing holding it back is Sprint. I just switched to Verizon yesterday at 9 AM to get the Galaxy Nexus and man, I'm glad I did. The hardware is amazing, but the data speeds increase is night and day. I've been researching carriers in my area for about a month and a half now and Verizon had consistently more coverage and faster data speeds.
I had the GSII and I actually like the design of that phone better. But overall I like the Galaxy Nexus a lot better.
Not to mention I get 20 percent off my data part of my plan and then 19 percent off my entire bill, 25 percent off accessories and I was able to snag an extra battery with external charging kit bundled with the phone. Gotta love employer discounts. I'll end up paying less with Verizon than I ever did with sprint, with usable data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are some of the cons and pros if the nexus? Also Is it as smooth as the sII? Thanks
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
spencer88 said:
Well the GSII on sprint is an awesome phone. The thing holding it back is Sprint. I just switched to Verizon yesterday at 9 AM to get the Galaxy Nexus and man, I'm glad I did. The hardware is amazing, but the data speeds increase is night and day. I've been researching carriers in my area for about a month and a half now and Verizon had consistently more coverage and faster data speeds.
I had the GSII and I actually like the design of that phone better. But overall I like the Galaxy Nexus a lot better.
Not to mention I get 20 percent off my data part of my plan and then 19 percent off my entire bill, 25 percent off accessories and I was able to snag an extra battery with external charging kit bundled with the phone. Gotta love employer discounts. I'll end up paying less with Verizon than I ever did with sprint, with usable data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For you then it's a no brainer to go to Verizon with those kinds of discounts. But for most moving from Sprint to Verizon would be a costly venture, higher monthly payments on Verizon, pay ETF for leaving Sprint, buy the new Nexus + accessories.
If I had the extra cash to burn I might think about, mainly for the network, Sprint just sucks so bad for crappy speeds, 3G is like 1x speeds. I sure hope Sprint does indeed improve their network next year like they say, because I will leave for sure when contract is up if we still keep getting these dial up modem speeds.
But just as a device, the Sprint Galaxy SII is AMAZING and AWESOME, I LOVE this device, great screen...killer long battery life...very fast and zero lag whatsoever..great development community here...I can only see one maybe two hits against the Sprint Galaxy SII, #1 the network sucks, and #2 no ICS yet, but that's it. But once a full stable ICS ROM is out this phone will probably be a bit smoother and faster than the Galaxy-Nexus.
My friend just got one and i played around with it some today. I am not blown away by the screen as I though I would be, yes it is better than GSII but not by that much. Can't beat vanilla android but I'm not crazy about the colors of ICS it feels very cold and plain...to each his own. Plus, we will get ISC anyways and somebody will have a rom that gets rid of TouchWiz. The quality feels much better than GSII but thats mainly because of the weight. I prefer the lighter GSII. Its a bit bigger than GSII which I hate I already think GSII is to big. Finally, I'm not sure about this but isn't GSII processor better the what the nexus has, I think with the improvements of ICS the GSII will be quicker than Nexus.
Its a great phone and I actually believe in sprint's network vision plans. If they don't make it happen, I will be up for a new contract then, I can either go back to my work provided BB or change carriers. Rocking this phone but roaming to verizon.......
Both phones have their merits for sure. I got the chance yesterday and today to play with the Nexus and it's a great phone I honestly love it and Android 4.0 in my humble opinion is beautiful. I do agree with the battery life but I kinda figured it would not be as good going in seeing that every LTE device I've seen and used has had very poor battery life compared to the other phones I've used.
xlGmanlx said:
Its a great phone and I actually believe in sprint's network vision plans. If they don't make it happen, I will be up for a new contract then, I can either go back to my work provided BB or change carriers. Rocking this phone but roaming to verizon.......
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Click to collapse
Gman what are your speeds when you roam on Verizon? Also won't Sprint eventually kick you out? lol
As i stated in the verizon prl thread i go from crappie to less crappie , seriously though, I only get about 250-300ish/kbps on sprints latest prl, on verizon i can achieve anywhere from 400's-7xx's +. I only roam when out and about, at home or near wifi, stay on sprints network.
niv3d said:
Gman what are your speeds when you roam on Verizon? Also won't Sprint eventually kick you out? lol
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Click to collapse
xlGmanlx said:
As i stated in the verizon prl thread i go from crappie to less crappie , seriously though, I only get about 250-300ish/kbps on sprints latest prl, on verizon i can achieve anywhere from 400's-7xx's +. I only roam when out and about, at home or near wifi, stay on sprints network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I'll search for the Verizon PRL thread. Can you just basically turn it on and off when you want?
musclehead84 said:
What are some of the cons and pros if the nexus? Also Is it as smooth as the sII? Thanks
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This phone is very smooth. The whole OS is very different, some people are *****ing about it over in the GN section, but I actually like it. This change is good. And if anybody says the screen is worse than other screens because it's pentile, they are full of crap and haven't looked at the screen in person, because it looks damn good.
---------- Post added at 06:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:00 PM ----------
Zorachus said:
For you then it's a no brainer to go to Verizon with those kinds of discounts. But for most moving from Sprint to Verizon would be a costly venture, higher monthly payments on Verizon, pay ETF for leaving Sprint, buy the new Nexus + accessories.
If I had the extra cash to burn I might think about, mainly for the network, Sprint just sucks so bad for crappy speeds, 3G is like 1x speeds. I sure hope Sprint does indeed improve their network next year like they say, because I will leave for sure when contract is up if we still keep getting these dial up modem speeds.
But just as a device, the Sprint Galaxy SII is AMAZING and AWESOME, I LOVE this device, great screen...killer long battery life...very fast and zero lag whatsoever..great development community here...I can only see one maybe two hits against the Sprint Galaxy SII, #1 the network sucks, and #2 no ICS yet, but that's it. But once a full stable ICS ROM is out this phone will probably be a bit smoother and faster than the Galaxy-Nexus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had my ETF waived by Sprint Retentions, I just have to return my airave, which I don't mind doing since I won't have Sprint anymore. I pull over 1 meg download over Verizon 3G everywhere I go, more often its over a meg and a half. Where on Sprint in the same locations I wouldn't even pull 300 kb/s. I know Sprint is going to get better, I just don't want to pay for a service for 2 more years before I see any difference.
Now Sprint 3G in Charlotte? Over 2 mb/s, really unbelievable, I never would have thought I would have seen those speeds on Sprint 3g anywhere. Columbia, SC? Forget it, 300 kb/s or less.
Now I'm just waiting for Sprint stock to go back up to 2.91 where it was last month lol and then sell, wait for it to drop and buy again.
spencer88 said:
This phone is very smooth. The whole OS is very different, some people are *****ing about it over in the GN section, but I actually like it. This change is good. And if anybody says the screen is worse than other screens because it's pentile, they are full of crap and haven't looked at the screen in person, because it looks damn good.
---------- Post added at 06:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:00 PM ----------
I had my ETF waived by Sprint Retentions, I just have to return my airave, which I don't mind doing since I won't have Sprint anymore. I pull over 1 meg download over Verizon 3G everywhere I go, more often its over a meg and a half. Where on Sprint in the same locations I wouldn't even pull 300 kb/s. I know Sprint is going to get better, I just don't want to pay for a service for 2 more years before I see any difference.
Now Sprint 3G in Charlotte? Over 2 mb/s, really unbelievable, I never would have thought I would have seen those speeds on Sprint 3g anywhere. Columbia, SC? Forget it, 300 kb/s or less.
Now I'm just waiting for Sprint stock to go back up to 2.91 where it was last month lol and then sell, wait for it to drop and buy again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you get your ETF waived?!
The reason I am having difficulty choosing between both is because of comments on battery and reception on the GNex. Give me your input on battery life and reception, for the LTE version, so I can make my final decision.
its pretty obvious.. RAZR MAXX has a bigger battery life but is running on a older version of Android.... if you want more battery life, it's definitely the razr maxx.... if you want the best possible android experience, definitely galaxy nexus.
Please use the search button. There is a similar thread floating around here.
sent from my GSM Galaxy Nexus
What zephik said
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
BeardedB said:
The reason I am having difficulty choosing between both is because of comments on battery and reception on the GNex. Give me your input on battery life and reception, for the LTE version, so I can make my final decision.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Galaxy Nexus all the way. Stock android 4.0 is the biznuts. Motorola even though they have been bought out by google i dont think they will get updated as fast as the Google branded Nexus.
With all the priority updates our developer community on xda has an abundance of talented developers that make this phone so awesome.
Bear this in mind: I've had two different Samsung phones now (Sprint Epic 4G, Verizon Galaxy Nexus), while my best friend has had two different Motorola phones (O.G. Droid, RAZR*) on Verizon. We both upgraded/switched at roughly the same time, within a week or so. He has almost always had better reception than me.
I don't know if this is well-documented on the interwebs or not, but I suspect Motorola generally has better reception than Samsung. I could be wrong, it might just be a fluke with those particular phones and carriers in our hometown, but it's something you might want to look into.
FWIW, he loves his phone, and I love mine. They're both great phones - it's more a matter of which features /specs / OS version & support are you leaning towards?
Oh, and if you haven't heard, Motorola/Verizon have officially announced the RAZRs will eventually get upgraded to 4.0/ICS.
* He doesn't have the Maxx, but the only significant difference is the battery, I believe.
For pure Android Experience (Which is amazing) = Galaxy Nexus
For amazing battery life = RAZR MAXX
I'd go for the Gnex, and I did :-D
Well, if you're looking for better battery AND better reception the Droid Razr Maxx. Motorola has far superior radios, but you will be using Blur instead of Stock ICS. Up to you.
If you were asking about the gsm version i would say nexus for sure. But the lte version just has too many radio complaints. So i say the razr.
Of course i personally take nexus anyday...
I was in the same boat in the beginning of the month. My friend got the Maxx and I played with it. Then went to mess with the Nexus.....
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
If you learn to use the search feature, the GN.
If you like to post new topics to ones that already exist, the Rarz Maxx.
don't get the galaxy nexus, most of people reporting radio failure (including me)
thegost4u said:
don't get the galaxy nexus, most of people reporting radio failure (including me)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have 8 friends with gnex,me too,and never had any issues with radio..i have always 1\2 bars of signal but it's only for the fact i use h3g (italian carrier)and in italy is the less powerfull carrier about signal power..but it's another facts,all smartphones gave me 1\2 bars in the last years..solded galaxy note days ago..same receptions bar signal...(tried all baseband\rom)
I see. Well here is my say day usually is. I work in the morning and two days out of the week I go to school after work. Most of the time at work, I have my phone on Airplane mode (since I barely get reception in Grand Central Terminal), and taking the train I have it on Airplane mode. In school its on full service though.
Get one, I say the GN first. If it doesn't work for you exchange for the other one. If you get the GN, you most definitely need to get the 2100mah extended battery.
Gnex is the best because of 4.0
But Razr will get 100% working AOSP 4.0 roms for sure.
And 4.0 is not that dealbreaking for me. But it is to most people.
I lost my Gnex and got the Note. I dont miss 4.0 a bit.
well, as everyones said: the MAXX will have awesome battery life, prob lasting 3 days (max) with moderate usage. The gNex (GSM) will comfortably take me through the day with moderate usage - meaning a few shorter calls, some surfin the web, a little gaming and some music, and even a little of youtube (but you have to control the light source level on the phone mayeb chose a good rom/kernel if you plan on rooting).
I must say though: the galaxy nexus is the ****, I have never been so happy with a phone as this one, and if you're rooting and flashing stuff, this EASILY beats the RAZR considering the amazing dev community and moto's policy on bootloader unlocking....
Anyways, sure you'll be happy with either phone and have fun
Galaxy nexus runs on ICS. Period.
Even with the stock experience it feels so right. Holo scheme reminds me of CM colors sometimes tho.
Go to a Verizon store and play with GNex. I'm on ATT and I still went to Verizon store, played with GNex LTE and bought the GSM one from amazon last year. I love the design of both phones, razor and GNex, but ICS is the clear winner.
My phone has lasted full 24 hours and more several times.
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I think razor will have better battery life but I always return back home everyday to sleep and charge my phone at night before going to bed.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
if you are getting the verizon LTE version avoid it like the plague... 3 months and no fix for voice quality or reception issues.. if they dont fix it by the end of the month I'm gonna request a MAXX from verizon and get rid of this POS phone..
EDIT: Also google no longer directly supports the LTE model.. so it is no longer a pure google phone.. fyi.
VinceT3 said:
if you are getting the verizon LTE version avoid it like the plague... 3 months and no fix for voice quality or reception issues.. if they dont fix it by the end of the month I'm gonna request a MAXX from verizon and get rid of this POS phone..
EDIT: Also google no longer directly supports the LTE model.. so it is no longer a pure google phone.. fyi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do realize not everyone has reception or voice quality issues? I have never had a call drop, and I think the bug where the person on the other end can't hear you has happened to me once within the three months of owning this phone. I am always between -95 and -70 dBm (2-4 bars) and have never experienced the "triangle of death." This is on 4.0.4 radios (although they all act the same to me). And that is not true, the LTE model is still going to receive updates from Google:
Hello! This is a quick clarification about support for CDMA devices.
For various technical reasons, recent CDMA Android devices implement core telephony functionality in .apk files provided in binary form by the carriers. To function correctly, these .apk files must be signed by the so-called “platform” key. However, when an individual creates a custom build from the AOSP source code, they don’t use the same signing key as these CDMA flies were signed with.
The result is that these files don’t work properly, and pure AOSP builds running on these devices can’t place calls, access mobile data, and so on. Because we aim to make sure that we are as clear as possible about the degree of support that devices have, we updated the docs over at source.android.com to reflect this reality.
We will still make available as many as possible of the closed-source binaries for these devices, and Nexus devices will continue to have unlockable bootloaders. And, of course, GSM/HSPA+ devices are still supported, as are any other devices we’re able to support. We’ve simply updated the documentation to be clearer about the current extent of CDMA support.
We are of course always working to improve support, and we’ll keep everyone updated as we make improvements. Thanks as always for your interest in AOSP!.
I'm a total Moto fan because of the radios they have and the Photon has been an awesome phone. Thing is I went into the Sprint store today to check out the new stuff and the G3 was just so sexy. I'm eligible for a new phone at the end of August and I'm wondering if you guys think it would be a good switch or should I wait for the new Nexus around November?
Specs are meh, screen is blah.
Evo3d-photon-s2-galaxy nexus- s3
S3 is the best phone yet.... Battery is so much better than the rest, signal comparable to photon screen awesome.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
The screen is better on the s3 but not in the sun. The radios are a step down from the Photon, though. Battery life for me is pretty much equal between the two. I only moved to the s3 because my gf needed a new phone so I upgraded. The BEST things about the s3 is that there is more development and more accessories available. It's definitely a solId step up, but not revolutionary.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
Why don't ya just wait for the Photon Q? Its coming out this month.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Torisen said:
I'm a total Moto fan because of the radios they have and the Photon has been an awesome phone. Thing is I went into the Sprint store today to check out the new stuff and the G3 was just so sexy. I'm eligible for a new phone at the end of August and I'm wondering if you guys think it would be a good switch or should I wait for the new Nexus around November?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont think you will be disappointed if you get the S3.The hardware is top notch and there are some great developers working on it. We dont know what the new Nexus(es?) will be yet. I'm not one to wait and I think that the S3 would be a great use of your upgrade. If you held it, played with it and you like it, just get it. You will love it.
RedXXII said:
Why don't ya just wait for the Photon Q? Its coming out this month.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why wait for a embedded battery 1735mah, embedded sim and a 4.3 qhd screen when he can have 2100 mah and a 4.8 720p display
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
I was talking about the OP's mention of how much they like Moto. I loved my S3. To each their own.
Sent from my HTC One V using Tapatalk 2
fendergrab said:
The radios are a step down from the Photon, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely.....a few steps down even. That is my only complaint. I've tried every radio and reception is horrible on this phone. My og Evo, my coworkers' evo 3d, evo lte, and even lg viper all get much better reception. I though it was defective, so I exchanged it......only to have the same reception with the new one.
samsung's notorious for terrible radios, that's a given.
I switched fro the4 Photon to the SG S III and I can tell you 1st hand they are almost equal DBM, and antenna signal wise. I still have my Photon, and the SG S III is way better in every step of the way. Antenna wise the Photon is a bit stronger but not much. They seem to always be with in a bar or1 dbm difference. In weak signal areas the Photon is better only by a hair. GPS wise all seems equal. Everything else the SG S III blows Photon away period. OG EVO then EVO 3D which was trade in for a Photon, now SG III.
Wait for photon q if radios are what ur after its tempting
But I can stand right next to the tower with my photon and still get very low data speed, so signal strength doesn't matter really.
Sent from my MB855 using xda app-developers app
donsh00tmesanta said:
Wait for photon q if radios are what ur after its tempting
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really a comparison, the Q does not have a removable battery and has a physical keyboard (ick for me anyway). I was really hoping for a better Photon successor.
dito33 said:
But I can stand right next to the tower with my photon and still get very low data speed, so signal strength doesn't matter really.
Sent from my MB855 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that doesn't mean anything on sprint's ****ty 3g network.
Torisen said:
Not really a comparison, the Q does not have a removable battery and has a physical keyboard (ick for me anyway). I was really hoping for a better Photon successor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see it as this you have at least another month before the new nexus devices are announced you can hold out since your upgrade isn't till the end of August any way. See what google has to offer and hope motorola is making the new nexus device which would make sense since they pretty much made the new photon and the atrix HD look kinda crappy in comparison to their OG models.
I've been considering about getting the next nexus and dropping skinned phones all together but it always seems to me the nexus line is always inferior in some hardware specs. Not saying they suck but some of the specs don't make me at least say hey I'm gonna drop my 4.8 sexy for a 4.6 with .03 or so space for nav buttons and no external and possibly no removable battery.
Weigh your options in tech you'll always be disappointed in some aspect or another
bluebeast213 said:
Definitely.....a few steps down even. That is my only complaint. I've tried every radio and reception is horrible on this phone. My og Evo, my coworkers' evo 3d, evo lte, and even lg viper all get much better reception. I though it was defective, so I exchanged it......only to have the same reception with the new one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a Photon, and a GS III and I am not getting what you are getting reception wise. The signal even in my house which is a bad reception area is acceptable. The signal and -dbm are usually with in 1 point and most times on par.... or the same. I can say based on my unit Don't look back. I still am always checking reception with both side by side!
Hardware wise I don't think there is much of a comparison between the two phones. I do agree that Samsung's radios suck though, and Sprint's network doesn't make it much better. On my E4GT I used to get data roaming ALLLL the time. Not on my S3 but I still get 1X in places that should easily be 3G. For example, I go to the local Applebees a lot and when I'm sitting at the bar I get 1X even though every other carrier gets 3G in that same area smh.
Torisen said:
Not really a comparison, the Q does not have a removable battery and has a physical keyboard (ick for me anyway). I was really hoping for a better Photon successor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do like I did.....buy, and try it. But, hold on to the Photon and check how they both receive signal side by side in areas that you know signal reception is weak. I ditched my photon after the 2 day test. I am still holding on to it also....the Photon that is...The GS III blows the Photon away, and this is coming from someone that has a high tech review, built a 750 rwhp Supra, and high speed computer rigs to trade \securities and game.
---------- Post added at 08:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:26 AM ----------
gpgorbosjr said:
Hardware wise I don't think there is much of a comparison between the two phones. I do agree that Samsung's radios suck though, and Sprint's network doesn't make it much better. On my E4GT I used to get data roaming ALLLL the time. Not on my S3 but I still get 1X in places that should easily be 3G. For example, I go to the local Applebees a lot and when I'm sitting at the bar I get 1X even though every other carrier gets 3G in that same area smh.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a tower issue I bet....for me this phone is very close to the Photon. This is not a touchy euphoric feeling either. I still have my Photon to tesrt signal reception side by side. Robert from S4GRU did a comparison test and said that the SGIII is very strong signal wise. He is a one of the administrator signal tech's on the forum also. I didn't need him to tell me this since I have a Photon to test reception against. He took various phones including the Photon and did a signal and -dbm test in strong and weak reception areas with 4-5 phones from Sprint side by side that was donated by members for the test.
I believe those having issues with reception may be having network vision upgrades that are affecting signal like I have from time to time here in NY. I have received 1.9 mbs downloads from time to time.....it's only a matter of time that LTE goes live here in NYC. Even when LTE goes live all towers are not going to be completely functional until 2014.
Thanks everyone for the input :good:. Guess I'll be getting the SGSIII at the end of this month or the beginning of next. Woot!
I just got my C6502!! yay! Uploading video to youtube now but here are some pics!
Unboxing Video!: http://youtu.be/z-K0YFl_HF4
1080p Video Test: http://youtu.be/esancudDbxE
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Quadrant For People that Want it:
For People Who Have T-Mobile I get HSPA+ Just fine on 1700/2100 Works fine as well on AT&T which is my Main carrier
Here are some Pictures taken with the Camera:
http://boxhost.co.uk/files/45_pjjb0/DSC_0001.jpg
http://boxhost.co.uk/files/46_1hcda/DSC_0006.jpg
http://boxhost.co.uk/files/47_s8wqi/DSC_0008.jpg
http://boxhost.co.uk/files/48_6taur/DSC_0011.jpg
http://boxhost.co.uk/files/56_mybon/DSC_0004_0.jpg
http://boxhost.co.uk/files/57_kprp4/DSC_0003.jpg
a little disappoint -,- how about the display
/did you use auto mode?
sonic2911 said:
a little disappoint -,- how about the display
/did you use auto mode?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I turned that off and it looked amazing! But Pictures look really AMAZING on the phone, But on the computer not so great:/ but thats why I have a camera
Upload an unboxing Video:! http://youtu.be/z-K0YFl_HF4
Nice looking piece of equipment - can't wait to see the LTE version here.
Two things:
1) What does the stock messaging app look like?
2) What kind of speeds are you pulling down and up?
sonic2911 said:
a little disappoint -,- how about the display
/did you use auto mode?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
outsidah said:
Nice looking piece of equipment - can't wait to see the LTE version here.
Two things:
1) What does the stock messaging app look like?
2) What kind of speeds are you pulling down and up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here ya Go
Ignore the HSPA+ speeds. I`m on my AT&T microcell so I cant test real tower 3G speeds at the moment. but I did a 3G speedtest anyway thru the microcell which is better than what it usually is
http://boxhost.co.uk/files/49_tmbcc/Screenshot_2013-03-15-19-33-05.png
http://boxhost.co.uk/files/50_avkd8/Screenshot_2013-03-15-19-33-21.png[
http://boxhost.co.uk/files/51_dmue9/Screenshot_2013-03-15-19-35-36.png
AT&T Microcell 3G speedtest
http://boxhost.co.uk/files/53_bfzqr/Screenshot_2013-03-15-19-36-29[1].png
Thanks for the quick update! Let us now what it's like out in the wild
outsidah said:
Thanks for the quick update! Let us now what it's like out in the wild
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I`ll unplug my microcell and see what speeds look like
EDIT: Not so great lol which ONLY sometimes speeds here can be decent but right now not so great which for where I live cant blame the phone.
how about the build quality is?
/i saw the display was yellowish -,-
No tint...
Gonna Pop in a T-Mobile Sim and test how things work on T-Mobile today as I go out. I live in an EDGE area but will be in a HSPA+ area tonight.
Tmobile 3G speedtest. In a fringe area
Sent from my C6502 using xda premium
are you in an area where t-mobile has 1900mhz bands activated?
htc fan89 said:
are you in an area where t-mobile has 1900mhz bands activated?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. This has 1700/2100mhz. I changed my APN and got better speeds.
T-Mobile is only edge where I live but where I am at now gets 3G from the county over.
what APN are u using now?
Please can you try USB host? Like pen drives and 2.5 HDDs??
Sent from my Desire HD using xda app-developers app
vicedens2002 said:
Please can you try USB host? Like pen drives and 2.5 HDDs??
Sent from my Desire HD using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont have a host adapter but it does work.
how is experience of zl over the note 2 u got? smoother? faster?
gaming on zl is better over note 2?
jianlinooi said:
how is experience of zl over the note 2 u got? smoother? faster?
gaming on zl is better over note 2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not the guy you have asked the question to, but I'll reply nevertheless since I had the Nexus 4>Note 2, iPhone5> ZL.
At this point, if I were to point out why the ZL is better than the Note 2, there would be too many things. All I'll say is the only things Note 2 does better are 1. Battery Life and 2. S-Pen support.
I am one of those people who prefer LCDs over AMOLEDs. The latter gives me a major headache while playing games.
I am yet to see any kind of slowdowns while gaming on the ZL, although I didnt see any on the Note 2 either.
I don't care if you have Chewbacca hands, the ZL feels a million times better and more ergonomic than the Note 2. Although I do lose the advantage of some extra *bulge* in my pants
The full HD resolution of the ZL cannot be beat. The Note 2 doesnt even come close.
The Note 2 was no slouch by any stretch of imagination, however certain apps like Phone and Contacts took a few seconds to load up, but that is because #blamesamsung
Finally, add Sony's dev friendly stance, you simply cannot go wrong with the ZL. Most of the devs havent got their hands on it yet, and we already have CM10.1 and AOKP (albeit early builds) for it.
Hope this helps
anirudh412 said:
I am not the guy you have asked the question to, but I'll reply nevertheless since I had the Nexus 4>Note 2, iPhone5> ZL.
At this point, if I were to point out why the ZL is better than the Note 2, there would be too many things. All I'll say is the only things Note 2 does better are 1. Battery Life and 2. S-Pen support.
I am one of those people who prefer LCDs over AMOLEDs. The latter gives me a major headache while playing games.
I am yet to see any kind of slowdowns while gaming on the ZL, although I didnt see any on the Note 2 either.
I don't care if you have Chewbacca hands, the ZL feels a million times better and more ergonomic than the Note 2. Although I do lose the advantage of some extra *bulge* in my pants
The full HD resolution of the ZL cannot be beat. The Note 2 doesnt even come close.
The Note 2 was no slouch by any stretch of imagination, however certain apps like Phone and Contacts took a few seconds to load up, but that is because #blamesamsung
Finally, add Sony's dev friendly stance, you simply cannot go wrong with the ZL. Most of the devs havent got their hands on it yet, and we already have CM10.1 and AOKP (albeit early builds) for it.
Hope this helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is the battery life on the zl better with stamina mode on?
Gitaroo said:
is the battery life on the zl better with stamina mode on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, especially if you keep Wi-Fi/data/sync on all the time. Battery life is pretty decent on ZL. I too come from note2 & although it's not as good but not bad either. For example, with moderate use (1hr data browsing, 40 min video, 1hr calling, 30min songs, 1hr camera/album viewing etc) I get 5 hrs+ screen time on ZL while it used to be around 7hrs on note2, with a standby of over 24 hrs on both. One thing worth mentioning about ZL is that wrt 3G calling & standby time its battery drain seems equally good (or maybe better) compared to note2 imho. I've posted screenshot in the battery thread.
Dpk1 said:
Yes, especially if you keep Wi-Fi/data/sync on all the time. Battery life is pretty decent on ZL. I too come from note2 & although it's not as good but not bad either. For example, with moderate use (1hr data browsing, 40 min video, 1hr calling, 30min songs, 1hr camera/album viewing etc) I get 5 hrs+ screen time on ZL while it used to be around 7hrs on note2, with a standby of over 24 hrs on both. One thing worth mentioning about ZL is that wrt 3G calling & standby time its battery drain seems equally good (or maybe better) compared to note2 imho. I've posted screenshot in the battery thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too am comming from a Note 2, just ordered the zl yesterday. Theres a couple of us here on the zl that made the switch im just wondering if we all had the same reason. For me I always thought a 5" screen would be perfect and if they would get ride of all that damn bezel keeping it as small as possible. Well zl did that, note 2 is a beast but I get tired of carrying this big beast around.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
Most of you will probably look at this thread and think it's a waste of space on XDA, but hopefully I'll get through to someone considering upgrading to the RAZR M.
First, I did a lot of research into which phone I should upgrade to... Frankly I was disappointed with Verizon's selection, but I went to a retail store and tried out all the phones, and I thought the RAZR M was the best option for me. I missed the SD card slot, thought the 2000 mAh battery would be great, and liked the camera upgrade from the Nexus' 5MP shooter.
I even went over to XDA's Droid RAZR M page and asked everyone what they thought of their phone, and if there was any reason I shouldn't get it... The only thing anyone could come up with was that the bootloader could only be unlocked on certain firmware, which I made sure to get.
Despite being Super AMOLED Advanced, the display has this look to it that just makes it look bad. The battery is hardly better than the Galaxy Nexus's, especially if that Nexus is packing the 2150mAh extended battery (obviously). It turns out MTP isn't a "lack of SD card slot" thing, it's an Android 4.1 and up thing. Some of you could probably have told me that, but I think many people are unaware of this, and go for phones with SD cards in the hopes of being able to sync with their Mac and Linux computers again.
I was surprised to find that Google Wallet won't happen, probably ever. No one has figured out how to do it.... So if you rely on Wallet at all, this alone should be a deal-breaker for you.
Despite Kevlar and Gorilla Glass, as well as a sturdy-feeling frame, the buttons on the RAZR M feel cheap and noisy, and the vibrate resembles that of an iPhone 3G or the Palm Pixi Plus... "cheap" I suppose would describe that rather well..
The only positive thing I have to say about the RAZR M is that the download speeds are considerably better, even though it almost always has the same number of bars as the Galaxy Nexus. In areas where the GalNex got 30 mbps or so down, the RAZR M got 50-65 mbps down. Although virtually 100% of the time, the RAZR M lost to the Galaxy Nexus with upload speeds by around 4 mbps.
I'll sum all that up by saying I'm proudly sticking with the Galaxy Nexus for the foreseeable future and that my goal here is not to ***** about the RAZR M or my poor decision, but to literally warn anyone here against getting it. I mean, we all have the Galaxy Nexus for certain reasons, mostly to have the latest version of Android almost always, so I figure some of you may be eyeing the RAZR M as well.
jimmyco2008 said:
Most of you will probably look at this thread and think it's a waste of space on XDA, but hopefully I'll get through to someone considering upgrading to the RAZR M.
First, I did a lot of research into which phone I should upgrade to... Frankly I was disappointed with Verizon's selection, but I went to a retail store and tried out all the phones, and I thought the RAZR M was the best option for me. I missed the SD card slot, thought the 2000 mAh battery would be great, and liked the camera upgrade from the Nexus' 5MP shooter.
I even went over to XDA's Droid RAZR M page and asked everyone what they thought of their phone, and if there was any reason I shouldn't get it... The only thing anyone could come up with was that the bootloader could only be unlocked on certain firmware, which I made sure to get.
Despite being Super AMOLED Advanced, the display has this look to it that just makes it look bad. The battery is hardly better than the Galaxy Nexus's, especially if that Nexus is packing the 2150mAh extended battery (obviously). It turns out MTP isn't a "lack of SD card slot" thing, it's an Android 4.1 and up thing. Some of you could probably have told me that, but I think many people are unaware of this, and go for phones with SD cards in the hopes of being able to sync with their Mac and Linux computers again.
I was surprised to find that Google Wallet won't happen, probably ever. No one has figured out how to do it.... So if you rely on Wallet at all, this alone should be a deal-breaker for you.
Despite Kevlar and Gorilla Glass, as well as a sturdy-feeling frame, the buttons on the RAZR M feel cheap and noisy, and the vibrate resembles that of an iPhone 3G or the Palm Pixi Plus... "cheap" I suppose would describe that rather well..
The only positive thing I have to say about the RAZR M is that the download speeds are considerably better, even though it almost always has the same number of bars as the Galaxy Nexus. In areas where the GalNex got 30 mbps or so down, the RAZR M got 50-65 mbps down. Although virtually 100% of the time, the RAZR M lost to the Galaxy Nexus with upload speeds by around 4 mbps.
I'll sum all that up by saying I'm proudly sticking with the Galaxy Nexus for the foreseeable future and that my goal here is not to ***** about the RAZR M or my poor decision, but to literally warn anyone here against getting it. I mean, we all have the Galaxy Nexus for certain reasons, mostly to have the latest version of Android almost always, so I figure some of you may be eyeing the RAZR M as well.
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well this is awkwardly coincidental...
you might have noticed i have posted a few times to the GNEX forum on random threads and even started my own on flashing to PagePlus. i love my Galaxy Nexus (Toro) and i have had so much fun with it over the past few months ive had it.
just 2 days ago i got a Razr M from my boss and am now using it as my DD and unlocked it to Simple Mobile, unlocked the bootloader and just loaded Eclipse V5.0 not 30 minutes ago. i have to say your observations are duely noted
but i have to say i tend to disagree with you
i friggin LOVE this thing! sure its only got 8gb internal storage, of which you can only use 5gb, but again theres that SD Card slot and i happen to have a 32gb Class 4.
the buttons dont feel cheap at all. as a matter of fact their quite sturdy and i havent had it turn on in my pocket and take random pictures. their a little cramped being on the one side, but their less sensitive as opposed to my Nexus which is good for me as i carry alot of crap in my pocket for no reason at all.
the screen is only slightly smaller than my Nexus and while its not 720x1280 its slightly more vibrant in color and looks less saturated. its more responsive too even after my Nexus has been updated to 4.3. plus that Gorilla Glass is gonna go through some real tests with all the stuff i carry on me and my tendency to drop things.
non removable battery is fine by me too. ive had not alot of battery drain and ive been using it pretty extensively. i played with it heavily (gaming, streaming videos, tethering to my pc, etc) off the charger after a full charge and came out after about 4.5 hours and still had 40%.
unlocking the bootloader isnt hard at all with Matt's Utility if you do it before the latest update, but im sure a fix will be up very soon for those who have taken it.
performance wise it beats my Nexus 1,000,000 to 1. little to no stutter/lag even with 4xAA enabled while gaming whereas my Nexus just isn't keeping up. and again, its responsive as heck.
the vibrate being low? it fell off my table getting a TEXT MESSAGE!
also its LOUD in comparison to my GNEX. like obsuredly loud!
all in all its an awesome device and pitted against my GNEX its a really close call.
i'd have to give my vote to the Razr M :good:
Well thanks for the reply lol, that's very interesting.
I love the vibrate on the Nexus, it's just right IMO, and very smooth.
I unlocked the bootloader and threw on CM10.1, but something tells me development will be slow for anything beyond 4.2.2.
I will admit the battery (again, non-extended) is an upgrade, as is the... Well the camera is interesting, either the Nexus or RAZR M have a better camera, depends on the subject and the lighting.
I still insist the screen looks pixelated (pentile?), I mean it does have a lover ppi and resolution than the GalNex...
You have me on speed though haha. The RAZR M I found to be more responsive (on stock), though to be fair it lagged immensely on CM10.1, whereas 4.3 is doing the Nexus a favor.
It is close though, it was a tough decision which one to pass into the family "up for grabs" pool, but I'm happy with the GalNex.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
After owning a droid x2 I would personally have a hard time purchasing another Motorola phone. They made promises and never delivered.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
I got my wife a RAZR M and have been pretty impressed by it. She uses her phone a ton and blows away my battery life. I will say I'm not thrilled with the camera still but its OK. The display is fine for most things. I do think the colors are better than the gnex but not as good clarity of course.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
jimmyco2008 said:
Well thanks for the reply lol, that's very interesting.
I love the vibrate on the Nexus, it's just right IMO, and very smooth.
I unlocked the bootloader and threw on CM10.1, but something tells me development will be slow for anything beyond 4.2.2.
I will admit the battery (again, non-extended) is an upgrade, as is the... Well the camera is interesting, either the Nexus or RAZR M have a better camera, depends on the subject and the lighting.
I still insist the screen looks pixelated (pentile?), I mean it does have a lover ppi and resolution than the GalNex...
You have me on speed though haha. The RAZR M I found to be more responsive (on stock), though to be fair it lagged immensely on CM10.1, whereas 4.3 is doing the Nexus a favor.
It is close though, it was a tough decision which one to pass into the family "up for grabs" pool, but I'm happy with the GalNex.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
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im on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to the "come and get it" as my girlfriend has been *****ing about her Virgin Mobile Kyocera Rise *shutters* since she got it back before Christmas. since i brought home my Razr M she's been eyeing up my Nexus like a fiend haha. she deserves the upgrade so ill be flashing the Nexus over to VM for her shortly.
as for the display with its qHD 960x540 resolution the pixelation on the launcher is noticeable when compared to the GNEX but again the colors seem to pop a bit more and i only notice the pixels on the launcher. in games (which i do alot of) and in other apps its much less apparent.
i love the camera on both phones and i think the front facing camera on the Nexus is a little bit better but the rear camera on the Razr M is pretty beast.
ive thrown on the aaarrrgghh kernel to Eclipse rom as well as the PurePerformances enhancement and it seems to have to fixed most of the stutter in the launcher. i hope they go a bit further with rom development as i would love to see what 4.3 has to offer the device. whether or not its gonna happen is up to the devs.
all in all i love both phones and i think my girlfriend will enjoy having the Nexus as much as i did
tshelby73 said:
After owning a droid x2 I would personally have a hard time purchasing another Motorola phone. They made promises and never delivered.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
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I could say the same thing about Samsung after my SGS (GPS Update). I think you just have to take devices for what they are when they drop, not for what you think they might get. Easier said than done, I realize. It's what makes me hesitate to go for the new Droid Maxx. I REALLY want to give it a whirl, but having something non-nexus kind of turns me off in the unlocking the bootloader department. That said, I'm kind of stuck with Verizon, and I can't run the GNex forever.
I'm stuck with Verizon also unless I want to give up unlimited data but that also means I have to pay full price for my next phone. Although I'm not overly impressed with my gnex toro it does eventually get updates and it unlockable. Motorola said they would unlock our bootloader more than once and never did, they also promised ICS then backed out on both. I still have my x2 but it's so slow with GB and bloat. Things may change but I would definitely need nexus phone.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
From your review, I don't think it's that bad.
I'm considering Razr M, actually. Not for an upgrade, but before I buy GNex.
Unfortunately, Razr M can't be found anywhere in my country. So I bought GNex.
I didn't regret it. But I still think Motorola Razr line's build quality & battery life must be better than GNex...