Is it even worth buying if we're on the verge of quad-core?

[jtc276]

Quad-core phones are literally months away. I expect that one or so will more than likely be unveiled in January or February and the trend will continue from spring until the end of the year. This is basically what happened with dual-core last year. The first Tegra 3 quad core tablet has already been announced by Asus, so I'm sure that it will be added to phones in a matter of time.

So is it even worth getting the Galaxy Nexus when something TWICE as good will be out in three, maybe four months? Not to mention the fact that people that aren't purchasing the phone unlocked will probably have to wait until the beginning of the year for it to reach their carrier anyway. And the fact that new quad core phones will almost definitely ship with ICS, HD screens, great cameras, and have everything that the Nexus lacks is making me consider waiting.

Had the specs on the Nexus blew me away, I would have probably went for it. But it merely matched other Android phones and upped the software (by a lot, I must add; ICS is simply amazing, but I don't buy phones for software). And don't get me wrong. I am NOT bashing. There will just more than likely be something much better VERY soon.

 

[sushiglobster]

I say, if you need to upgrade now, then do it now. In my case I have an OG Droid. I AM GOING TO UPGRADE. It is time for me and I'm way past due.

If you think your current device can hold you over, then hang on to it till then.

If you wait, you will be waiting forever and ever. Eventually, you need to come to an agreement with yourself on what you need to do to carry you on to the next technological level.

 

[ultravisitor]

For me, it's not about the hardware. It's about the software. I'm tired of having to root and wait for a decent ROM just to get a Blur-free Android experience.

 

[Scottatron]

Or you could wait another 12 months and get a six core with a 1080p screen.

Such is the nature of fast moving technology, if you constantly wait for the next big thing....you'll be waiting forever.

 

[jtc276]

Or you could wait another 12 months and get a six core with a 1080p screen.

Such is the nature of fast moving technology, if you constantly wait for the next big thing....you'll be waiting forever.

Very true. I completely agree with you, but what about the people waiting for the phone on contract that aren't on Verizon? They will more than likely be waiting until the beginning of the year. So waiting would benefit them highly.

I had waited for a Galaxy S II for months before finally getting fed up with US carriers not getting it months after it had been released in other countries. So I bought the best phone available on AT&T at the time: the Motorola Atrix. I do love my Atrix, but I really want something a bit more fast and unlaggy. The lag on the Atrix isn't awful, but it's noticeable, even with the Gingerbread update. I had narrowed down my options between the Galaxy S II and Galaxy Nexus, but yesterday I decided that I'd go with neither. I have a phone that can easily hold me over until quad core is integrated, so I'll just stick with it.

 

[Scottatron]

Agree, if you have reason to wait (contract etc) then I'd hang out for a while as well.

 

[Menno]

1) There will ALWAYS be something new coming out. And it will ALWAYS be better. If you wait for the next great thing, you'll never get anything. When a Quad-Core comes to market, they'll announce a faster chip with more unicorns.

2) Those Quad core phones won't be Nexus devices. Google paces the Nexus devices generally a year apart. That means if Verizon gets one, it will be locked down just like all their other phones.

3) ICS (the software) isn't optimized for that many cores (to my knowledge), which means most of the benefits will only come with NDK developed games (much like Tegra2 games are right now for Gingerbread phones). Following traditional carrier pattern, those quad core phones might not be released until June, and when they are, they'll be running Gingerbread, or maybe some heavily skinned version if ICS. (remember how long it took to get Gingerbread launched phones here in the US)

Something better is ALWAYS around the corner. I'd rather take the device that Google will be designing their software for now and enjoy it for the year until the next one drops.

 

[ejaymd11]

What's the point of quad core? It's getting to the point now it's too much.

 

[sneakking]

I say, if you need to upgrade now, then do it now. In my case I have an OG Droid. I AM GOING TO UPGRADE. It is time for me and I'm way past due.

If you think your current device can hold you over, then hang on to it till then.

If you wait, you will be waiting forever and ever. Eventually, you need to come to an agreement with yourself on what you need to do to carry you on to the next technological level.

I'm in the same boat. I have ridden the OG Droid as long as it can take me. The Galaxy Nexus is the first phone I've seen that I think can last me for as long as OG.

I'm hearing next summer for the quad core to really kick in. Fortunately I have two upgrades basically back to back so I can "chance it" on the Nexus.

Kal-El looks amazing with the 5th power saving core, but even though it may be awesome and next summer MAY be when it would launch in a device I personally can't wait any longer. Also, who knows if there will be delays, etc. that may push back a truly awesome quad core phone back a little further

as sushiglobster said, it depends on your situation most of all

 

[CynicX]

ICS can't utilize quad core yet. So you'll wait a few months for a quad core then you'll need to wait a few more for software to utilize it. By that time there will be a hex core or something crazy. See what I'm getting at? We are on the verge of a yearly released device, so waiting a few more weeks isn't a big deal. Quad core will be a dime a dozen once the first one comes out.

 

[Poopai]

(remember how long it took to get Gingerbread launched phones here in the US)

That's a good point. Gingerbread was a nominal upgrade, and it took forever for phones to get it. Now ICS is a huge upgrade, so I wonder how long that will take. It depends if the companies just didn't think Gingerbread was a big enough upgrade to worry about urgently altering their skins for, or if it was just a lot of work for them with even that upgrade.

If I waited for the first quad core phone and it had capacitive buttons I would smash my head into my keyboard. New phones not having the current software is a lot bigger deal now because you can't turn your capacitive buttons into software buttons with an update.

 

[Poopai]

ICS can't utilize quad core yet.

How do you know this?

 

[Scopic]

Agreeing with what most said:

If you wait for new technology, you'll be waiting forever.

I was planning to build a new PC a couple months ago and I would constantly say to myself "Well, if I buy these parts now then something new might come out in a month and these will be cheaper, or something may come out after those and I can buy the better parts at the same price."

And then I just sat down and said "What in the hell am I doing?" I gathered what I wanted right then and there and clicked "checkout" on Newegg.com. Now I'm posting from my newly built PC and it is wonderful, I don't regret a thing.

 

[ManBearPig618]

We're FINALLY getting a phone that can utilize dual core. I'm good with that for now. Sure quad cores are coming, but won't it be awhile until software can utilize all the cores?

 

[anon(512898)]

So is it even worth getting the Galaxy Nexus when something TWICE as good will be out in three, maybe four months?

You're first mistake was to assume that cores scale anywhere near linearly. A second core is great because it allows the foreground app to run on a different core from the os and background processes. Without developers coding apps for multiple cores (something that devs have been historically slow on in the desktop space) you will not see much of a boost from quad core.

Secondly, look at last year again, when the nexus s came out people said that dual cores where "right around the corner". Sure we saw the g2x and atrix, but due to poor software they were hardly better than single cores phones at the time, it wasn't until summer with releases like the gs2 and sensation that dual core phones worth have appeared, even then the nexus s still held its own. If the trend is anything like that I would gladly "settle" for the galaxy nexus.

ICS can't utilize quad core yet.

It should support a lot more than 4 cores, it should be inheriting the mulit core support baked into the linux kernel

 

[turb0wned]

yes. Nexus is better than any other device.

 

[borgey401]

1) There will ALWAYS be something new coming out. And it will ALWAYS be better. If you wait for the next great thing, you'll never get anything. When a Quad-Core comes to market, they'll announce a faster chip with more unicorns.

2) Those Quad core phones won't be Nexus devices. Google paces the Nexus devices generally a year apart. That means if Verizon gets one, it will be locked down just like all their other phones.

3) ICS (the software) isn't optimized for that many cores (to my knowledge), which means most of the benefits will only come with NDK developed games (much like Tegra2 games are right now for Gingerbread phones). Following traditional carrier pattern, those quad core phones might not be released until June, and when they are, they'll be running Gingerbread, or maybe some heavily skinned version if ICS. (remember how long it took to get Gingerbread launched phones here in the US)

Something better is ALWAYS around the corner. I'd rather take the device that Google will be designing their software for now and enjoy it for the year until the next one drops.

You make no sense at all, the whole point of a Nexus device is for it to be unlocked. Your memory might be short but Verizon has had the first devices on both 2.0 and 3.0 (Original DROID and XOOM). Both of which were unlocked just like the Nexus will be. The DROID was basically a Nexus before they existed and we all know the Xoom is a developer tablet (same thing as a Nexus once again). So your theory is flawed right off the bat. We all know that every Nexus will be fully unlocked or it won't carry the Nexus name.

One thing you are correct about is ICS not being able to take advantage of anything more than dual core CPUs. So you will go ahead and get a phone that MIGHT have a quad core processor but you won't have software to even take advantage of it. It's the same thing as going out and buying a dual core phone that's on 2.3 ..... It's pointless but of course people don't realize that and just see dual core and get brain washed by it. Same thing will happen with quad core technology.

 

[JediJesus95]

I'm still amazed how many people still love their Nexus One. And when the Nexus S was announced everyone said how disappointed they were with the specs yet most people who own one really like the phone. There is nothing quite like a pure vanilla android phone. It's always smooth.

 

[Scottatron]

I'm still amazed how many people still love their Nexus One. And when the Nexus S was announced everyone said how disappointed they were with the specs yet most people who own one really like the phone. There is nothing quite like a pure vanilla android phone. It's always smooth.

Using my N1 right now, still enjoy it

 

[cdf3]

My phone is single core and my tablet is dual core. Many of my favorite apps I use daily do not run any faster on my dual core tablet, than they do on my single core phone.
I'm sure there are games that will run better on my tablet, but so far I have yet to use any of the graphic intense games.

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