NO replacement: galaxy or note or htc (Google's commitment to us)

[steveblue]

Well like many of you - my trusty nexus one has been great through thick and thin but I am ready to think about its replacement. I want the pure android experience in a full sized display and fast processor, ... Some interesting issues:

Galaxy Nexus: As someone who wants the pure Android experience with no bloatware, no waiting for OTA updates and a phone that "works" in all ways with full android - the galaxy is the obvious way to go. But it is so similar to the galaxy 2 brands with in fact a crapper camera ( new reviews were underwhelmed with the nexus camera) but alittle bit bigger. There are other choices:

Galaxy 2s: will have good deals, ( I will probably buy my phone unlocked and open either used or outright not from a carrier) - so the deasl or have alot on craiglist used matters to me. They should be upgraded right behind the gnexus ( months?). So maybe they are a good choice.

Galaxy Note: this is an amazing phone - it is much larger that the gnexus ( 5.3in - great for computer replacement on the run), has a styles with interest noting/drawing apps and has the same great 8MB camera as the g2s. If it was only about hardware - I would go with this one of the phone that actually you can by this year.

HTC future large display phone: I am not a fan of samsung build ( I am told they are getting better) and surely the HTC NexO was a great build ( a tank) and the HTC service has been amazing over the years for me. I so wish HTC was the new google phone and wonder if they will have something soon - that will compare to these others for our needs - maybe even a google phone.

So - with those choices, the galaxy still seems the best - while smaller than the note and a crapper camera than the g2s and note, it is that different and I get the real google android experience - I am both loyal to this OS and to google BUT I wonder --- is it me assuming the old days with my NO. That is, will there be google phones all over the place in 3 months ( mota, htc, ...), will google really give us the care and OTA updates with our gnexus as we got with the NO. Because I assume this will be true I would think this is the phone to buy over the others. But I just realized - as a community - what proof do we have - where do we get feedback from google that they will be loyal to this new gphone. Some of the ways they are coming out with it have me nervous -allowing exclusive deals, maybe carrier bloatware, not selling it themselves. What do you the NO community think? If we all move to the Gnexus will we get the commitment from google ( updates, all is tested and work) or are those days over?

[WERA689]

To me, one of the overriding points in favor of the Nexus brand is that direct commitment from Google. The N1 had Gingerbread before any other device, and the GNex will debut ICS to the world. Updates are as direct as they'll ever be. Google stated with the N1's release that the Nexus series is offered to provide a benchmark for other manufacturers to look to; as well as developers....to push the Android Ecosystem by providing a package that shows what is possible with Android.

None of this has changed. The Nexus is still Google's most direct involvement with the software/hardware interface, as well as the user interface. While I also loved the idea of Google selling the N1 outside of the carriers, the market didn't due to out of pocket costs to the user. I'm also reasonably certain that "bloat" will be more of an issue with Verizon than any other carrier that will be selling the GNex...as I understand it, there was quite a bit of wrangling behind the scenes before Google put their foot down on the issue of "bloating up" pure Android. I hear that there are only 2 VZW bloat apps on the GNex, and that both can be removed (though they could both be considered genuinely helpful apps).

Go with the GNexus in confidence. I will be. And join us at Galaxy Nexus Forum - Samsung Galaxy Nexus Community . We're already revving up for it's release over there!

[steveblue]

I generally agree - this is the pure android and google phone - but since there is no promise of that, what if we see in 6 months a HTC nexus and a Motorola droid nexus and a galaxy nexus HD ( or 2x) which begins the dilution of the pure experience into branded forks. Would be nice if Google would actually let us know what their future commitment was.

[dudewithaplan]

I'm really hoping for that steve, but not holding my breath.

I'm leaning toward the GSII or the Note personally. I said I'd never get another non-Nexus phone, but am really REALLY disapointed in the GSM version. Why buy it when I can just root one of the others?

[dudewithaplan]

Sorry for the DP. Just wanted to add, that I fear the only way to get the GSM GN in the States will be to pay full price and get it unlocked. I WILL NOT be paying $750 for a phone with the specs that one has. No way.

[WERA689]

Dude, you may be right, you may not. I know that there is a GSM version coming...I'm getting one shortly as a pre-release device. However, we also know that there will be a 120 day lag before it gets released after Verizon releases theirs. I have every expectation that the version ATT sees will be LTE capable, too.

How it will be sold at that time is anything but decided at present. I think Google learned that people are not happy to pay full price to avoid contracts, so I expect a subsidized option...though I have no knowledge that this will be the case.

[steveblue]

UPDATE ( before xmas): In researching (reading every news and review article) and comparing a working GNexus and Gallaxy2 in the store ( still no Gnote is store yet - want to see how big is big), still not sure I want to move to the Galaxy Nexus. I so want to be loyal to the pure Nexus Android experience ( like with my trusty Nexus one), but is the Gnexus really good enough - hardware wise? I only buy outright and can get a galaxy 2 for alot less new or used and from my reading it looks about the same with a better camera, so why pay a premium for the Gnexus. So is the Gnexus just about ICS??, I can get that on many new phones soon. Is it about the quick OTA upgrading in the future - that is what it is about for me mainly - but can I trust google to be strong or will there be several nexus ( HTC, Moto soon) and the days of the 1 Google phone w/great service and OS upgrades over? Again I think Google should have to state their intentions and roadmap. Another idea - I am also thinking about going with a XDA ROM to stay current and no crapware - if I think google will not repeat the NO experience - on a GNote, G2 or better yet new HTC well built large screen phone of the future. Basically still not convinced, the GNexus seems like OK hardware and nothing super special - but am waiting to see if is treated correctly by google - so far given the exclusivity and allow no wallet and some crapware on the Verizon model - I am less than convinced.

[dudewithaplan]

Steve,

I'm not a happy camper right now. Exploring options myself. I can get a new nexus s for a smidge over $300. Thinking about taking up T-Mobile's offer for two lines, a $300 rebate, and no unsubsidized phones for two years for the mere price of $105+tax a month
That includes Unlimited everything (2gb one line 5gb for me before throttle). Only thing is. That's what I pay now for two lines plus 5gb data for one and none for the other. I'm on friends and family 700.

Also looking at virgin mobile. I can get a motor triumph for $300 and pay $50 a month and they LOWER your bill if you pay on time. No freaking contract either.

[steveblue]

While I want my google phone experience, I am still not convinced that the nexus galaxy is great multi-year hardware. It appears (relatively) the same as the galaxy s2 in display size with generally crappier tech ( cam, ...) and is more to buy outright mainly because so many s2s are around and on craigslist.

Meanwhile I drove down to 'mobile dna' store in a mall south of vancouver to see/touch/use a 5.3" galaxy note. It was light, it fit in my pocket, it worked with one hand, it was such a nice display and has the fastest cpu and typically good galaxy s2 tech. I also really, really liked the stylus ( a real stylus!) which did a very good job of recognizing/converting my fast pen based notes into text. So I really liked it. Again as a univ. prof. I use my phone often at meetings, while walking campus for computer uses ( email, sched, map, browsing) and the bigger display means it will be my mobile computer. I prefer Google and open web tools to smartphone apps - so the real browser sized display w/ a fast processor is great.

Issues w/ note: the price and availability, non north american version - so what warranty, will the galaxy note get ICS soon and updates thereafter, and will it be a geek sensation phone - with a tech community supporting it

Generally these answer all seem good, the xpa.dev site for note is thriving, folks are writing code for it. Amazon is selling at a reasonable price, so now there are several venues to get it, even local ones. Warranty is still an issue it can be a UK or German warranty, no one is confident what that means for NA. I think I will wait for Jan 15th for things to settle and still if a specific North American version comes out. There looks like there is an ATT one ready to come out, but this looks worse for my needs, in that to get the ATT LTE ( which I can't use) they will go with a crapper CPU (snapdragon but these are still rumors). I'd rather have the International one in that case.

[Tapage]

Just take a look on the galaxy note option and looks pretty wicked!

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