The Nexus S is a great phone offering developers a "pure" Android experience. That purity brings limitations a typical owner may never notice. Here are resources for Facebook Sync, Notification LED, microSD, RAM, Speed Dial, Smart Dial, Lost Photos, Contact Groups, Email Search, 160 Character Text Limit, Camera Zoom, Browser Zoom, Video Formats, FM Radio, Visual Voicemail, HDMI, and Bluetooth.
If you root, Cyanogen can restore Facebook sync. If not, you can manually update some Facebook info:
• [Only registered users can view links. ] (free, [Only registered users can view links. ]) Get Facebook notifications, events, etc. Manually sync contacts & profile photos.
• Manually import Facebook photos to the Nexus S with [Only registered users can view links. ] or [Only registered users can view links. ].
• [Only registered users can view links. ] updates photos and birthdays. ([Only registered users can view links. ])
• [Only registered users can view links. ] creates a file with name, birthday, etc. to import into Google Contacts ([Only registered users can view links. ]). [Only registered users can view links. ] article.
Notification LED: The Nexus S does not have a LED for missed calls, email, texts, or events. Try [Only registered users can view links. ] as a workaround.
• If you are rooted, try the [Only registered users can view links. ] to light up the buttons on a notification.
microSD: The Nexus S has 16GB but no microSD for added music, photos, and movies. Cloud storage options can help if needed.
• [Only registered users can view links. ] stores up to 2GB ([Only registered users can view links. ] for 2.25GB) for free. Open with the [Only registered users can view links. ].
• [Only registered users can view links. ] can store your music to play with the [Only registered users can view links. ] app. [Only registered users can view links. ] can store your doc or xls files for use by the [Only registered users can view links. ] app.
RAM: Androids may have 1024MB of RAM for apps and operating system. If the [Only registered users can view links. ] is an issue:
• Remove apps that you don't use and use an app like [Only registered users can view links. ] to move apps out of the internal memory and onto the internal SD card.
Messaging: The Sprint Nexus S 4G Message app stops at [Only registered users can view links. ]. [Only registered users can view links. ] or [Only registered users can view links. ] (free) do not.
Speed Dial: The Nexus S doesn't have Speed Dial to assign contacts to numbers 1 to 9. Smart Dial: The Nexus [Only registered users can view links. ]. "T9" [Only registered users can view links. ] lets you type a name such as: 2 for B, 7 for R to see names beginning "Br".
There are some good phone apps that can be used in place of the stock Android phone:
• Create a homescreen of dialing shortcuts: Long-press an empty spot > Shortcut > Direct Dial
• [Only registered users can view links. ] lets you dial a middle part of a name or number. For 202-456-1414, you can dial "456" or "1414".
• [Only registered users can view links. ] lets you dial their initials for instance dial 2 for B, 6 for O for Barack Obama.
• [Only registered users can view links. ] & [Only registered users can view links. ] can search contacts for "Pen" for contacts on Pennsylvania Ave or "Wash" for Washington.
[Only registered users can view links. ]: shows the caller's photo. A slider bar lets you play a certain portion as you would an MP3.
• The Nexus S lacks Visual Voicemail. [Only registered users can view links. ] is a workaround but costs [Only registered users can view links. ].
Gallery: Nexus S owners have found relief from the lost photos, wrong photos, and slow photo loading with the [Only registered users can view links. ] app.
Camera: The Nexus S Camera [Only registered users can view links. ] and no Timer, Anti-Shake, Blink detection, or Guidelines. Consider:
• [Only registered users can view links. ] ($4, [Only registered users can view links. ]), [Only registered users can view links. ] ($4, free [Only registered users can view links. ])
• [Only registered users can view links. ] (free) shots bursts. [Only registered users can view links. ] ($2) is fast. [Only registered users can view links. ] (free) adds more effects.
Calendar: The Nexus S Calendar does not let you choose the Default view, time zone, or first day of week. To add these features and more try [Only registered users can view links. ] ([Only registered users can view links. ]), [Only registered users can view links. ] ([Only registered users can view links. ]) ([Only registered users can view links. ], [Only registered users can view links. ]), or [Only registered users can view links. ].
Clock: The Nexus S Clock does not include a Timer, Stopwatch, World Clock, etc. Consider one of these [Only registered users can view links. ].
Email: Nexus S Email search is limited and can't [Only registered users can view links. ] and does not allow an automatic cc or bcc. Try [Only registered users can view links. ] (Free) or [Only registered users can view links. ] Exchange ($20, free trial).
Browser: The Nexus S browser has [Only registered users can view links. ], and [Only registered users can view links. ] limitations and does not show browser windows as thumbnail cards. Consider browsers like [Only registered users can view links. ] or [Only registered users can view links. ].
Home Screens: The Nexus S has 5 Home screens while 7 is common today. Use [Only registered users can view links. ] ([Only registered users can view links. ]), [Only registered users can view links. ] ([Only registered users can view links. ]), or [Only registered users can view links. ] (free) for more home screens and customization without rooting.
Music Player: The Nexus S does not have an Equalizer, Surround Sound effects, can't show lyrics, and is limited in showing album art. Consider:
• [Only registered users can view links. ] • [Only registered users can view links. ] • [Only registered users can view links. ]
Video Player: The Nexus S does not play video formats other Android phones play such as DivX and XviD. Android Market offers workarounds:
• [Only registered users can view links. ] to a format the Nexus S can use.
• [Only registered users can view links. ] (Free, [Only registered users can view links. ]), [Only registered users can view links. ] ([Only registered users can view links. ]), & [Only registered users can view links. ] add many formats. [Only registered users can view links. ] is great but adds no formats.
[Only registered users can view links. ]: let you group contacts to send a text or email. The Nexus S can't edit contact groups. Workarounds:
• Setup contact groups on your PC at [Only registered users can view links. ]. Use [Only registered users can view links. ] ($1) to setup contact groups from your phone.
• Use a free app like [Only registered users can view links. ] to group contacts (also a smart dialer)
FM Radio: The Nexus S [Only registered users can view links. ] so consider [Only registered users can view links. ] ([Only registered users can view links. ]) for local AM/FM stations. Also try [Only registered users can view links. ], [Only registered users can view links. ], and [Only registered users can view links. ].
HDMI: The Nexus S USB port does not serve as an HDMI port but the [Only registered users can view links. ] for wireless HD.
Bluetooth: The [Only registered users can view links. ] is faster and uses less power. The [Only registered users can view links. ]. Use WiFi when you can.
HD Recording: Some Androids record HD Video. The [Only registered users can view links. ]. There is no workaround but is this something you need?
Keyboard: The Gingerbread keyboard is good but some prefer [Only registered users can view links. ], [Only registered users can view links. ], or other Keyboards.
That is the only piece of the puzzle that I can find as well. That way you can manually sync profile photos but not status updates or facebook events and birthdays into the calendar.
Is the Xoom locked out of facebook sync as well? Future devices as well?
Are there any ROMs for the Nexus S 4G that bring Facebook sync back?
You cannot Sync directly with FaceBook. You are forced to manually put in your contacts (using Google Contacts online is actually really fast). After that, you can use the app "syncmypix" to bring down all your friends' pictured from FaceBook.
Last edited by DeCourseyyy; 06-12-2011 at 10:58 PM.
Since this is the only thread I can find on How to Sync Facebook Contacts to the Nexus S 4G, I am going to ask that it be stickied. Facebook sync is integrated into contacts, dialer, messages, calendar, and other apps. Until the Nexus S and Nexus S 4G.
I have found one key new workaround to import Facebook contacts directly into Google Contacts. [Only registered users can view links. ] creates a csv file from your Facebook Friends names, phones, birthdays, etc. to import into Google Contacts. ([Only registered users can view links. ])
The Opening Post is updated.
Can anyone answer the remaining questions in the opening post?
Last edited by milominderbinder; 06-12-2011 at 08:00 PM.
Remaining question #1 is yes. FB contact syncing still works in various 3rd party roms such as cyanogen. Regarding other roms, I can't answer that. The developer would need to say if they decompiled contactsprovider.apk and added Facebook back in. It's a 2 minute process so I'd imagine everyone would be doing it but you know what happens when we ass-u-me
Last edited by KSmithInNY; 06-13-2011 at 07:42 AM.
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