Phones Help Me Decide, Galaxy Nexus now or wait for iPhone 5

[nickchallis92]

With Android people are all about "how many cores you got?" lol honestly the Galaxy Nexus is a Amazing phone....life is not all about bench marks because truth be told there is no android device that actually takes full advantage of the multi-core processors (can't speak for Jelly bean yet as I haven't tried, or read much about it). The Games on Android if they truly made use of Multi-Core processors would have been AMAZING but they are just OK....

I just recently traded my old iPhone 4 for a Galaxy Nexus to have it along with my iPhone 4S (bc i can't give it up due to the app quantity and quality being my main factor) It is truly a solid phone and having the Stock Android ICS UI is a bonus because I hate all the bloatware and launchers manufacturers like Samsung, HTC and Motorolla slap on which sure does make the phone more appealing but also slows boggs down the phone to some degree. Sure the SGSIII is a "Quad-Core" but I bet the full power isn't even going to get used 1) not any real apps that would take full advantage of the Multi-Core processor 2) Your battery will die before you even use the full power of it 3) Spec's aren't everything.

Those that say "Upgrade coming soon and wait for the Quad-Core Nexus"....cores are just numbers....Learn something apple....its not about the number of Core you have...its about what you can do with the ones you have....which apple clearly shows over and over by sticking to Chips that have been far surpassed by android offerings yet they lack sales because their "Cores" can't deliver what users want but I also understand lots of things factor in such as the App real-estate, Google limiting/not providing enough support to make apps be better etc.

Based on the iPad 3 I HIGHLY doubt the iPhone 5/6 is going to get Quad-Core because its not a necessity as they already have the formula to achieve what Android Hardware makers show off with Quad-Core with a Dual-Core enhanced such as A5X processor that being said the Galaxy Nexus with its Dual-Core Processor and 1GB Ram is PRETTY SOLID for the next couple of years at minimum considering the Nexus S is still living on with ICS...maybe even getting Jelly bean but I am not sure about that, Oh and you can always OverClock the Galaxy NEXUS to higher CPU down the road should you feel its not fast enough.

So OP go for it, you will enjoy it for the short time that you will keep it before jumping back to the iOS on the new iPhone.

I've said it before and i'll say it again

Why is it relevant if iOS is more efficient with the cores it has?

At the end of the day, you base your user experience on what the screen displays. If android is super smooth on a quad-core proccessor then great. From a consumer's point of view, they don't need to know what is running underneath, if it works, it works!

Also, recent smartphones have a better battery life than the dual-core 4s anyway, so please tell me the problem?

 

[Satnam1989]

I've said it before and i'll say it again

Why is it relevant if iOS is more efficient with the cores it has?

At the end of the day, you base your user experience on what the screen displays. If android is super smooth on a quad-core proccessor then great. From a consumer's point of view, they don't need to know what is running underneath, if it works, it works!

Also, recent smartphones have a better battery life than the dual-core 4s anyway, so please tell me the problem?

Why is iOS more efficient? well ask apple, bc they have yet to find a reason to slap on a Quad-Core processor even in a Tablet (iPad 3) in 2012 but yet a Good portion of Android hardware manufactures thought it was mandatory when there are no dedicated apps available that actually make a use of the Multi-Core processor especially as high as Quad-Core....maybe you can go ask both sides, but I'm not a technical guru when it comes to software and hardware at coding level or anything like that, my experience is based on UI, apps that work and how efficiently they work (without crashing) and how well the device works when switching between apps(AKA Multitasking). iOS I have found to work very well, Android now is too getting better but I don't think there is need for number of processors to increase just yet. We all know Android has LOTS of work to do and thats the problem, the OS doesn't improve as drastically but yet spec's keep going out the roof. Its not all about the hardware because Software is what drives it so it has to be right....

Simple example:
GTA III on Galaxy S II T989 required me to install/modify settings to just get the street lights/Car lights to display yet it's Running a Dual-Core 1.5GHz processor that too with lag...I don't OC my devices...stock is what does the trick for me.

My iPhone 4 at the time...800MHz Single-Core....same graphics chip (if I'm correct) as iPhone 3GS....all settings worked out of the box? Why is that? can you explain? I'm sure that goes to say iOS is more efficient and optimized than Android has been/Is.

Also Why is it that in 2012 numerous Android Hardware manufacturers are still announcing phones that are only running Gingerbread....2.3.x....? even those DUAL-CORE phones that saw light of day well before iPhone 4S and even now are still stuck on it...a lot of which have no hope/word of receiving official update.....(Custom ROM's don't count)

Unlike android at least Microsoft finally announced that they are going to add support for Multi-Core processors....I don't ever recall Google making that announcement (unless I missed it then my mistake)

As for better battery life....really? they have better battery life? you call it better battery life when the battery is anywhere from 200-600mAh larger than the iPhone 4S.....thats not better, its just adding a bigger fuel tank to a gas guzzling car and saying HEY THIS CAR GIVES 1000+ miles than any other.

Show me a Dual-Core Phone with 1430mAh battery that gets same battery life, same features as iPhone 4S (not exactly but close as possible) please do so.

Despite all this I love my Android phones just has much as my iPhone and only hope for improvements. because they let me get play around with things like Root, installed wacked out apps like "WiFi Kill" and thats about it really.

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For the most part I agree with you but there are a couple of points I could debate. Cores with android, yes software optimization is more important but keep in mind some of the things that are done with android, like running video game emulators, video encoding etc. A lot of apps are designed to run off multi core processors like MX player off the top of my head.....

I also think Apple will try to keep on the higher end of hardware when so maybe nit with the iPhone 5/6 but with the 5s/6s. They can future proof their products that way and keep older devices updated....

Off our subject but just thinking about it. I like the way Google does its updates. The Nexus S has the same software the Galaxy Nexus has (unlike the 4 compared to the 4S iPhone). If OTA updates are that important too you get a Nexus device. Even the Xoom is getting Jelly Bean with everything that is included with it....

Ya when it comes to Android if you want truly the best, you can bet on the Nexus Series because Updates actually are quiet important to be honest, its what keeps the phone going. If its going to take you a year to get a single update...then its not your moneys worth unless one happens to have tons of time on their hands to be slapping on custom ROM's all the time.

Also Android isn't fully optimized yet and as for emulators...I personally never ran a emulator on any of my Android devices...and I feel we can agree that at least 60%(if not more) of the people probably won't run emulators either....I do however do lots of emailing, calls, texts, IM's (Whatsapp, KiK Messenger, Vonage Mobile, Skype, Live Profile), Watching Video's(movies in all formats), Doing School work related things (Doc's, PDF reading/Annotating), and occasionally playing games...in this sense I am a heavy user of all the features that it can offer.

I'm actually pretty disappointed with the Google Play Store as well, the apps need to be more organized, better in quality, better optimized and they should put the leg down on what type/kind of apps can be submitted to the Play Store so that useless and virus/infected apps don't end up in the app store. As well as "Fremimum apps"...Most apps on Android contain Ad's...that too a lot of them don't have the "Remove Ad's" option available.....Sure if people still want to download apps then developers that make custom things can make a store like Cydia where people can download and install everything customized/junk related that they wish (would/could be like a loophole) to do so. It would provide a great improvement to Android overall experience.


I didn't notice a File manger app in ICS....can anyone point to me on the Galaxy Nexus running ICS where it can be found?

 

[onthecouchagain]

As for better battery life....really? they have better battery life? you call it better battery life when the battery is anywhere from 200-600mAh larger than the iPhone 4S.....thats not better, its just adding a bigger fuel tank to a gas guzzling car and saying HEY THIS CAR GIVES 1000+ miles than any other.

 

[Vegastouch]

You and I need to stop our panel discussions. It's the same thing over and over again. In fact I'm probably going to stop bringing up how bad the GNex and other Android screens are because I get inevitable defenses of them. I'll just keep my mouth shut regarding Amoled moving forward on here.

The problem isnt "you and i". You keep saying how awful to the screens are to others. I am not the only one who disagrees with you on that and im just saying not everyone puts a priority on how the screen looks with how you like it. You dont like the black contrast and prefer the whites turned all the way up which washes out the other colors imo.

You asked a guy how he could go with a GNex after he tried the One X because the screen is better. Well, he let you know. Its not everyones priority.

PPI on the GNex does little to combat the poor whites and overall dimness it produces. I'm no fan of the SIII screen for those reasons but the GNex is even worse.

Yes we know, and the GNex doesnt have the resolution the GS3 has so it isnt quite as good but the vast majority of people like it(the GS3 screen) very much.

Amoled screens are just inferior to IPS for how most people use them to do on their smartphones. Yes, that is just my opinion. But it's echoed by many.

Your opinion, that you are again repeating and its not echoed my "many". Really its just a few.

I think most consumers deem their smartphone screen as a top if not the top priority.

Im seeing the size of the screen more a priority than anything else. Most would agree that the HTC X screen is the best but most agree the GS3 screen looks great too and are buying it because of other reasons.

Ive stated my reasons. HTC messed up imo with what would be a awesome device. For T-Mobile they made the One S and it has a 4.3", which i think is a good size screen and it doesnt have the better resolution that the One X has but it still looks good. But no microslot, and no removable battery for either which is too bad. And the multitasking issue is too bad as well.

 

[mbell1975]

The unlocked Nexus runs on the same "4G" networks as the iPhone.

 

[aPple nErd]

go for the iPhone 5. i think you will be a lot happier in iOS. some android phones are good to but i think iOS is still way better. but get the phone you like/want

 

[frank.deale]

I have the Galaxy Nexus and my daughter has 4S. I think he 4S is still a smoother OS which may no longer be the case when I get JB. But the ability to customize the Nexus trumps all, in my view. Its amazing what one can do with this phone.

 

[Technarchy]

Get the GNEX because your regret posts later will be funnier.

 

[onthecouchagain]

I have the Galaxy Nexus and my daughter has 4S. I think he 4S is still a smoother OS which may no longer be the case when I get JB. But the ability to customize the Nexus trumps all, in my view. Its amazing what one can do with this phone.

And what's great about customizing the phone is that afterwards, it truly feels like your phone, catered and organized specifically to your liking. And it isn't only about aesthetics. Customizing your phone does improve usability.

Flexibility is a great feeling.

 

[blairh]

The problem isnt "you and i". You keep saying how awful to the screens are to others. I am not the only one who disagrees with you on that and im just saying not everyone puts a priority on how the screen looks with how you like it. You dont like the black contrast and prefer the whites turned all the way up which washes out the other colors imo.

You asked a guy how he could go with a GNex after he tried the One X because the screen is better. Well, he let you know. Its not everyones priority.



Yes we know, and the GNex doesnt have the resolution the GS3 has so it isnt quite as good but the vast majority of people like it(the GS3 screen) very much.



Your opinion, that you are again repeating and its not echoed my "many". Really its just a few.


Im seeing the size of the screen more a priority than anything else. Most would agree that the HTC X screen is the best but most agree the GS3 screen looks great too and are buying it because of other reasons.

Ive stated my reasons. HTC messed up imo with what would be a awesome device. For T-Mobile they made the One S and it has a 4.3", which i think is a good size screen and it doesnt have the better resolution that the One X has but it still looks good. But no microslot, and no removable battery for either which is too bad. And the multitasking issue is too bad as well.

I can't stress how wrong you are with what I've put in bold. Seriously, it's amazing that you are willing to proclaim that my assertion that most people would prefer an IPS panel (and specifically the One X screen) as being 'a few'. You cannot be more wrong. Not only are most professional positive reviews of the SIII conceding that the One X screen is superior, I see it CONSTANTLY in the comments sections of YouTube and in forums like The Verge and the like. I can't possibly tell you how many times I've read someone proclaiming that the One X screen is superior to SIII's or that LCD on the whole is superior to Amoled. In contrast I've seen the opposite stated rarely. I honestly have no desire to continue this back and forth. You keep saying the same thing. If you like your Amoled screens, so be it. Goes for everybody else on this forum too. But spare me this garbage that my opinion is a minority one.

I'm not going to comment anymore on the GNex or SIII screen. It appears you feel the need to reply that I'm wrong or that not everybody finds screen quality to be an important factor (which again I disagree with). It's an exhausting back and forth that leads us absolutely nowhere. I will never purchase a smartphone with an Amoled screen. I think said screens are that terrible in contrast to what IPS has to offer. End of story. You disagree, feel differently, so be it. But I'm done with this debate and will not be making any more comments on MRF about how poorly I feel Amoled's perform. Goodbye.

 

[SteveU30]

No one is going to be getting a Nexus in the states for a while: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/29/apple-lands-preliminary-ban-against-samsung-galaxy-nexus/

 

[Phokus]

According to rumor, Google is going to expand the play store for 4 or 5 nexus devices, i think around november. I'd wait till then.

 

[Technarchy]

The GNEX screen is horrendous. No way to spin it. It sucks really bad even by AMOLED standards.

 

[Satnam1989]

Some things I can't find in ICS currently on Gnex:

1) File Manger....
2) Rotation lock...is there one? if so how do I get to it?

Thanks guys

 

[onthecouchagain]

Some things I can't find in ICS currently on Gnex:

1) File Manger....
2) Rotation lock...is there one? if so how do I get to it?

Thanks guys

1) Try Astro from the Play store. It's free. It's great.
2) Settings, Display, "Auto Rotate Screen"

 

[Calidude]

Get the GNEX because your regret posts later will be funnier.

Sitting here at home with my Gnex with zero regrets at all. $400 bucks well spent.

I might sell it and get the next-gen Nexus phone but for now, this little guy is chugging along just fine.

----------

1) Try Astro from the Play store. It's free. It's great.
2) Settings, Display, "Auto Rotate Screen"

I've looked into this a lot and I've come to the conclusion that File Expert and Solid Explorer are the best file managers.

 

[nfl46]

The GNEX screen is horrendous. No way to spin it. It sucks really bad even by AMOLED standards.

DEFINITELY not true! Its actually pretty nice for a 4.65" screen! Unless I'm blind or something, it looks pretty good to me, especially for such a large screen.

 

[moldy912]

If you still have two months, definitely wait the extra half month or so to get the new iPhone. Hopefully it will have things like NFC, a larger screen, and a gorgeous new look that will be hard to pass up on.

 

[Technarchy]

DEFINITELY not true! Its actually pretty nice for a 4.65" screen! Unless I'm blind or something, it looks pretty good to me, especially for such a large screen.

Then you must be blind. I wrote a review on another forum when I first laid hands on the GNEX and compared it to the Sprint GS2, and the GS2 screen was flat out better.

It's a ****** screen, period. The one thing it had going for it was that it was slightly brighter than all previous AMOLED screens I'd seen, but still dim by iPhone 4/4S standards. Still, it was a bad screen then and it's an even worse screen now that the Htc One X is available.

That doesn't include the laggy UI, rotten camera, cheap build, 3 year old GPU, and bulky feel in the hand.

 

[nfl46]

Then you must be blind. I wrote a review on another forum when I first laid hands on the GNEX and compared it to the Sprint GS2, and the GS2 screen was flat out better.

It's a ****** screen, period. The one thing it had going for it was that it was slightly brighter than all previous AMOLED screens I'd seen, but still dim by iPhone 4/4S standards. Still, it was a bad screen then and it's an even worse screen now that the Htc One X is available.

That doesn't include the laggy UI, rotten camera, cheap build, 3 year old GPU, and bulky feel in the hand.

Can't be the same phone I have.

And laggy UI? Have you seen the Galaxy Nexus with Jelly Bean on it? Its quite obvious you haven't. Because my Gnex with 4.1 is FAST!

Speak for yourself, but the GNex I own is awesome, and I am a hardcare Apple fan.

By the way, I had the One X the last two weeks and the screen is nice, but no way the Gnex screen is horrible as you make it sound.

 

[404 tech junkie]

Why is iOS more efficient? well ask apple, bc they have yet to find a reason to slap on a Quad-Core processor even in a Tablet (iPad 3) in 2012 but yet a Good portion of Android hardware manufactures thought it was mandatory when there are no dedicated apps available that actually make a use of the Multi-Core processor especially as high as Quad-Core....maybe you can go ask both sides, but I'm not a technical guru when it comes to software and hardware at coding level or anything like that, my experience is based on UI, apps that work and how efficiently they work (without crashing) and how well the device works when switching between apps(AKA Multitasking). iOS I have found to work very well, Android now is too getting better but I don't think there is need for number of processors to increase just yet. We all know Android has LOTS of work to do and thats the problem, the OS doesn't improve as drastically but yet spec's keep going out the roof. Its not all about the hardware because Software is what drives it so it has to be right....

iOS doesn't need higher core counts because the OS isn't designed in a way where that would be advantageous. What I mean is it simply doesn't do as much, and therefore does not require as much. For example, on my GS3, I have an expandable news ticker on my lock screen, that gives me information just by turning my screen on. I also have a weather app that provides me with severe weather alerts for the area that I am currently in. I have a home screen news ticker for the forex market that keeps me abreast of any financial developments that might require me to make a quick move in the market. While all this is running at the same time, I can also have other apps that are able to run in the background doing their various tasks, all without slowing down my device. So for what I am doing on my phone, it makes sense to have a high horsepowered multi-core processor. In iOS this wouldn't happen, therefore there's no need for that type of horsepower. However, if you jailbreak your phone and attempt to do half of the things I do on my phone, you will notice an ostensible slowdown. In summary, as long as iOS remains the way it is, you're right, there won't be any real need for multicore processors. After all, it doesn't require a multi-core processor to run an app drawer. However, if they ever do add an additional level of sophistication, and allow it to become more capable, you too will need additional horsepower to push it.

 

[jdlindsey7]

Can't be the same phone I have.

And laggy UI? Have you seen the Galaxy Nexus with Jelly Bean on it? Its quite obvious you haven't. Because my Gnex with 4.1 is FAST!

Speak for yourself, but the GNex I own is awesome, and I am a hardcare Apple fan.

By the way, I had the One X the last two weeks and the screen is nice, but no way the Gnex screen is horrible as you make it sound.

First, I have to agree that the Galaxy Nexus is no where near laggy. It is as smooth and fast as iOS in my opinin second, the screen is nhave a GNex and it's a great

 

[batting1000]

Another example of insecurity. The OP is clearly reluctant to switch, but want's people to tell him to switch so he doesn't feel as bad. The theme we've been seeing around here lately...

 

[jdlindsey7]

Can't be the same phone I have.

And laggy UI? Have you seen the Galaxy Nexus with Jelly Bean on it? Its quite obvious you haven't. Because my Gnex with 4.1 is FAST!

Speak for yourself, but the GNex I own is awesome, and I am a hardcare Apple fan.

By the way, I had the One X the last two weeks and the screen is nice, but no way the Gnex screen is horrible as you make it sound.

First, I have to agree that the Galaxy Nexus is no where near laggy. It is as smooth and fast as iOS in my opinin second, the screen is not as clear as the iPhone or ONE X, but it overall large and a joy to use. I own the ONE X, GNEX, and 4s and the 4s is my daily driver but to say the Galaxy Nexus is laggy and the screen is terrible I completely false.

 

[Satnam1989]

iOS doesn't need higher core counts because the OS isn't designed in a way where that would be advantageous. What I mean is it simply doesn't do as much, and therefore does not require as much. For example, on my GS3, I have an expandable news ticker on my lock screen, that gives me information just by turning my screen on. I also have a weather app that provides me with severe weather alerts for the area that I am currently in. I have a home screen news ticker for the forex market that keeps me abreast of any financial developments that might require me to make a quick move in the market. While all this is running at the same time, I can also have other apps that are able to run in the background doing their various tasks, all without slowing down my device. So for what I am doing on my phone, it makes sense to have a high horsepowered multi-core processor. In iOS this wouldn't happen, therefore there's no need for that type of horsepower. However, if you jailbreak your phone and attempt to do half of the things I do on my phone, you will notice an ostensible slowdown. In summary, as long as iOS remains the way it is, you're right, there won't be any real need for multicore processors. After all, it doesn't require a multi-core processor to run an app drawer. However, if they ever do add an additional level of sophistication, and allow it to become more capable, you too will need additional horsepower to push it.

I completely understand what you mean, the app never really re-load data until you actually launch it on iPhone despite getting push notifications as thats the only thing that does get through on IM apps, definitely Apple needs to put an end to that part and offer real time Multi-Tasking, thats something I do like about android, when things are active...they are fully active not just idling around but it also does lead to a significant decrease in battery life. However I do think that if the new iPhone gets 1GB RAM(I'm quiet certain it will) should raise the bar for multi-tasking as the apps will stay running/active longer as compared to now.

I support android 100% but it just has lots of cleaning up to do as its main concern with the quality of apps, the Play store needs to be better, number of apps also needs to increase significantly. Google needs to make it so that its appealing to developers and they aim at making Cross-Platform apps from the beginning, not launching on iOS then considering Android afterwards and I think if we can have that, android can do really well...it has a lot of potential.

How much battery life do you get with those 3 things "Active"? My Galaxy Nexus has 1750mAh(just got it few days ago and haven't used it much) but considering the Galaxy S III has 2100....it should last over 24hr?