Looking at your signature you've been changing a lot!
Mine is like:
iPhone 4 > iPhone 4S > Galaxy Nexus (2 weeks) > iPhone 4S > Galaxy S3 > next Nexus.
Why are you switching from the S3? I just want a vanilla experience.
Oh and I was very tempted to either buy or swap my S3 for an HTC One X the other day.
Oh, I'm not switching from the S3...lol. As you can see, I've got the 4S, S3, and GNex right now, so I just like to switch it up a lot. And my reasoning for having the Nexus device is the same as yours, the vanilla Android experience. That, and the fact that you darn near can't brick the GNex. My Nexus is my "experimental" device...it's what I root and install tons of custom ROMs on so I can see what's out there and keep up with the development community. My S3, by contrast, isn't rooted. Part of that is that the S3 does pretty much everything I want it to do out of the box, so I don't feel the need to root it.
FYI, I've also had 2 HOX's and, IMO, the S3 is a better all-around phone. Better speaker, easier to root (I've rooted the S3 but returned to unrooted now), and better development community. The HOX reminds me a lot of the iPhone in how "locked down" it is. Sure, you can root it and unlock the bootloader, but there's a much higher chance of "bricking" it over the S3. I will say this, though...there's not a better screen on a phone out right now. That screen on the HOX is gorgeous!
Mind = blown...
Using the Gnex now. I actually only got it recently (right around the time that apple tried to ban it hehe)
I think what google needs to do next is really decide do they want to sell a smartphone. Because their position with the nexus (besides the nexus 7) has always been a bit ambiguos. They need to market this phone! The OEMs aren't going to do it and neither are the carriers (Verizon and Samsung come to mind with this last nexus). I think it is cute that Google thinks since they own the web just using web ads will be ok. It isn't. No one (not normal consumers anyway) pay attention to web ads. I literally don't see them anymore. It's like background noise that you are trained to filter out.
What google needs is real marketing. TV spots. endorsements. etc. And please direct people to google play (rather than carriers). I think it will help their whole ecosystem.
Maybe if they take the time and the resources to properly market and sell their flagship device OEMs will try harder to make a good device instead of what samsung has done the last two times (make something a half-step up from what they currently sell and then focus on their own flagship)
Apple has the guts to tell their partners exactly how things are going to be and it pays off. Google needs to grow a pair \rant
I couldn't agree with this post more. I know Google doesn't want to take away from the OEMs too much with their Nexus devices, but man, vanilla Android is SO GOOD that you really feel the OS needs hardware to match. If they'd just put a better speaker and better camera in the GNex, I think it would easily be one of the top 3 phones out there.
The GN on Verizon is a travesty. Really, Google should be embarrassed.
This is why I mentioned in an early post, now that Jelly Bean is good enough for the general masses, they need to get two things right with the Nexus 2012:
Hardware and the Launch.
-It's time they start using premium materials and really elevate the build quality, since it seems this is a point of contention for many people. Plus, it would undoubtedly draw more attention.
-And secondly, they have to handle the launch much better. I'm talking fully unlocked, carrier free, on the Google Play store from day one, offer multiple storage sizes (16g & 32g at the least), and maybe even color versions (a full body white, not that lame back-white). And if they can price it competitively -- something in the ~$500 range -- that would only help attract more customers.
I think Saturn is on the money too that Google should market the Nexus better.
They did a good job with the Nexus 7, so that gives me hope.
This. This post is so full of win. I'm with you that the Nexus 7 launch gives me hope that Google will see they can market their own phone and do it in the right way. I couldn't agree more with the second post, either. I'm hoping they put it on Google Play from day one at a competitive price ($500 would be the perfect price point...high enough to be premium but low enough to be affordable).
And I'm with you on the Verizon and Sprint GNex's being a travesty. I know those owners don't like to hear it, but there's a reason why GSM GNex owners call that version the "faux" GNex. One thing I do like is that they've already shown that they can put LTE in a phone that's pretty much the same size as the GSM GNex with the official extended battery and replacement battery door (I've got that on my GNex). Surely the next Nexus phone will have LTE, a better (not as dark) screen, and maybe a couple of storage size options. We can all hope!
