Evo vs Nexus S... what's the big deal again?

[truslide]

If you've seen Eric Schmit's presentation he gave with the S (floating somewhere on youtube, at the time he called it an "unamed device") the focus that Google seems to have with the Nexus line of phones is less on the "candy" features, and more on evolving Android as a mobile platform.

To play devil's advocate, to be honest if a phone had 1080p video recording, that would do very little for evolving Android as a mobile platform. So what? Video recording is just that, sure better fidelity, clarity, etc is always a plus. But what makes it stand out from other phones?

If you think about it, the biggest game changers to mobile phones in the last few years have been the following:
- Capacitive touch screens
- Accelerometer support built-in
- Mobile OS's as development platforms, and not simply an email or feature device
- and more... I'm just trying to make a point here

At this point, bigger screens, better capacitive screens, more apps on the development platform, more feature support (video, camera megapixels, storage space), are really inconsequential to the evolution of mobile devices.

The key thing that Google is focusing on with the Nexus S, is as a development catalyst using Near Field Communications, and VoIP/SIP support. Doesn't seem like much at first glance, but both can be relatively revolutionary.

For NFC, it gives credit card companies and banks the opportunity to develop apps for Nexus S phones out in the real world. It gives Google the leverage to push Android as the mobile platform to develop secure, simple, and convenient forms of payment--obviating needs for credit cards.

For VoIP/SIP hardware support native into phone, it gives carriers the option to use LTE and SIP as an option and go away from cellular code division multiplexing and use SIP/VoIP for voice communications.

These new technologies included on the S have the potential to change how we use our phones. To be honest, I wouldn't use Tmo but this does sound exciting to me.

holy crap dude... do you work for Google? Are you a....... s...p...y for Google or something? You're counter argument is impressive and substantial. I suppose for people like Vaelek and Cyanogen, this phone is a prim device to have to work on ROMs and what not. Kernel's most likely too. I wouldn't be surprised how powerful this phone is.

Legend has it... the Nexus S is responsible for launching that rocket into space today... the Falcon 9...

 

[Robbie317]

They shoot themselves in the foot putting it out on T-Mobile... I picked up a Nexus One when it came out and I loved the phone.. I thought the overall build quality was awesome and the 3.7" screen size was just about perfect and with straight vanilla android it was even better (I am rooted and running vanilla android on my EVO) but T-Mobile's overall coverage STINKS!!! It's great if your pretty stationary in an area that has great coverage but I move around a lot. I travel for a living and I ran across a ton of dead zones and "No Service" spots with T-Mobile... Now their HSPA+ network was blazing fast... Faster than 4G/Wi-Max on the EVO. But that network is smaller than their 3G network and I was mostly on edge/2G with T-Mobile.

As for the Nexus S, It looks pretty impressive and seeing that they appear to be running it through Best Buy will help it sell pretty good. Appears to have slightly better specs than any other android phone on the market and 2.3 standard (you know any Nexus phone is going to get the latest and greatest, which is a plus on getting the Nexus S... you'll probably always have the greatest software first)

WHY oh WHY can't they just cut a deal with a bigger carrier like Verizon or Sprint (I had an iPhone on AT&T for years.. they stink too) at least they made the leap away from "Online Only" now get the phone out on a decent network and we can talk.... I hated giving up my Nexus One but my EVO is awesome and Sprint is a much better network...

 

[bnrbranding]

I agree that Google's focus with the Nexus line is to advance Android, but I think they blew it by not waiting until they could include a dual core processor. Having Android play nice with dual core should be a major priority.

 

[ace_spades]

I think the biggest disappointment with the NS is the crappy t-mobile network... while it maybe great in few places...Google should have one for all the carriers... but personally I have a bad rapport with t-mobile...I would be in my local store and not have a signal...like wtf...

life is all about EVOlution

 

[majorhunadadun]

The Nexus S has no hspa+. That's a dealbreaker for me!

 

[gadgetluva]

2.3 seems to be a far more incremental upgrade...I almost get the feeling that some features that were originally slated for Gingerbread were pushed back for Honeycomb as that's going to be the next "major" release of Android. I think when that happens, we'll see a Nexus _ that most will deem a worthy successor.

On a side note, I'm really hoping Google continues the Nexus (pure Google) hardware for tablets too!

 

[d3xn2o]

Guys the NS is a Sammy isnt it?

the Galaxy phones are on all Carriers

whats to say the NS wont be on all Carriers as well?

 

[npark]

They shoot themselves in the foot putting it out on T-Mobile... I picked up a Nexus One when it came out and I loved the phone.. I thought the overall build quality was awesome and the 3.7" screen size was just about perfect and with straight vanilla android it was even better (I am rooted and running vanilla android on my EVO) but T-Mobile's overall coverage STINKS!!! It's great if your pretty stationary in an area that has great coverage but I move around a lot. I travel for a living and I ran across a ton of dead zones and "No Service" spots with T-Mobile... Now their HSPA+ network was blazing fast... Faster than 4G/Wi-Max on the EVO. But that network is smaller than their 3G network and I was mostly on edge/2G with T-Mobile.

As for the Nexus S, It looks pretty impressive and seeing that they appear to be running it through Best Buy will help it sell pretty good. Appears to have slightly better specs than any other android phone on the market and 2.3 standard (you know any Nexus phone is going to get the latest and greatest, which is a plus on getting the Nexus S... you'll probably always have the greatest software first)

WHY oh WHY can't they just cut a deal with a bigger carrier like Verizon or Sprint (I had an iPhone on AT&T for years.. they stink too) at least they made the leap away from "Online Only" now get the phone out on a decent network and we can talk.... I hated giving up my Nexus One but my EVO is awesome and Sprint is a much better network...

I see where you're coming from, but I also see the reasoning behind releasing on Tmo. It's the weak sister in the US markets, but remember, the rest of the world is on GSM. AT&T's GSM bands are different from what's used around the world--Tmo, being the child division of a European telecom, uses the GSM world standard. With the Nexus line, remember, sales of the device is less important than the development of Android. And Google wants Android developed into a globally dominant platform--all the other vendors will release on the US specific carriers soon enough.

 

[youngzayiles]

Yeah im not replacing my evo till something comes out that makes me say OMG this phone is great... The epic didnt make me do it so seeing as how it is very simular to the nexus s...So I wont be getting it... Now when they show up with a dual core phone that could possible help with battery life... Ill make moves.. If im going to upgrade Im going to get a real big upgrade... Like when the 1ghz phones first started coming out.

 

[Robbie317]

I see where you're coming from, but I also see the reasoning behind releasing on Tmo. It's the weak sister in the US markets, but remember, the rest of the world is on GSM. AT&T's GSM bands are different from what's used around the world--Tmo, being the child division of a European telecom, uses the GSM world standard. With the Nexus line, remember, sales of the device is less important than the development of Android. And Google wants Android developed into a globally dominant platform--all the other vendors will release on the US specific carriers soon enough.

I understand that fully.... GSM is the world wide standard and T-Mobile's network/bands are the ones primarily used in Europe and around the world... CDMA is biggest here in the states... I also understand the Nexus line of phones is primarily for development of the Android OS..... But they obviously learned from their original mistake with the Nexus One "Online Only" approach and appear to be using Best Buy to distribute the new phone (Which is funny because when I got my Nexus One.. Paid full retail for it unlocked there wasn't a best buy in my area that carried T-Mobile and I was told by the guy at my local best buy store that T-Mobile is very limited at best buy)

I think the problem is you got a high end phone on a low end network. YES if you stay inside a major metro city area you can get great service and speeds. I live 20 minutes outside Nashville, TN... Inside Nashville T-Mobile was AWESOME and I got great 3G speeds.... at my house only Edge/2G.... get 10 minutes out of Nashville in any direction your on Edge or worse until you get to the next Major city.... Meaning from Nashville your nearest 3G HSPA+ area is Chattanooga (90 minute drive) Memphis (2:45 hour drive) Knoxville (2:40 minute drive) and in parts of those area's your either roam or no service..

I loved my Nexus One... just slightly better than my EVO... So far my EVO is the second best phone I have owned.... Don't get me wrong.. Again I LOVE my EVO but I would trade it for a Nexus One on Sprint in a heart beat. The only thing I didn't like was the track ball on the N1... But it was slim, sleek, and just as fast/powerful as the EVO....

Sorry for my rant... that is all it was....

 

[igotsanevo4g]

I'm gonna give up my evo for the speedy/knight if its anything like the G2 and that's saying something. That google can't even pump out a next gen phone when htc's beat it out right.

No 4G or sd card? What the hell were they thinking.

 

[Marty1781]

No 4G, no SD slot, no LED notifications, and no HDMI/DLNA. No thank you.

 

[Gekko]

maybe there was a method behind their madness?

 

[igotsanevo4g]

maybe there was a method behind their madness?

I hope so.

Well, actually i dont care because i wont ever switch to t-mo's network anyways. I dont care if they had the HTC jesus phone. Cant even get enough signal to send texts from my house, let alone make calls. LOL.

 

[Jerzyiroc]

I didn't mean to make it seem like it was a crappy phone or something. It's still a great phone but the point I was trying to make is personally I feel it's still disappointing. I definitely can see the argument that it's probably geared more as a developer phone. But still, the Nexus 1 really changed the game. The Nexus S doesn't. While it's still an absolutely incredible phone, I expected much more.

btw.. just did this post on the CR-48 I received today.. all I have to say is WOW.. Chrome OS ftw...

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

Google doesn't have to lay the smack down on other phones. The BIGGEST draw for the average person is pure Google experience. That means the carrier doesn't get in the way of updates.

Farther off (and maybe not for the average joe) is NFC. It's the first phone to have it built in, and will be instrumental in it rolling out to the mainstream crowd. Just like vehicles are going to push start (where you don't have to put the key in the ignition), credit/debit cards will be the same thing.

 

[dwaynewilliams#WN]

I didn't mean to make it seem like it was a crappy phone or something. It's still a great phone but the point I was trying to make is personally I feel it's still disappointing. I definitely can see the argument that it's probably geared more as a developer phone. But still, the Nexus 1 really changed the game. The Nexus S doesn't. While it's still an absolutely incredible phone, I expected much more.

btw.. just did this post on the CR-48 I received today.. all I have to say is WOW.. Chrome OS ftw...

I agree with you. I think that the Nexus S doesn't stack up to some of the devices that are already out, like my Droid X or the EVO. But I don't think that it was meant to beat other devices with the hardware. I think that it is a software development phone and not meant to compete with the existing high-end Android devices. I can say this, I wouldn't give up my Droid X for it.

 

[Mdorty]

I didn't mean to make it seem like it was a crappy phone or something. It's still a great phone but the point I was trying to make is personally I feel it's still disappointing. I definitely can see the argument that it's probably geared more as a developer phone. But still, the Nexus 1 really changed the game. The Nexus S doesn't. While it's still an absolutely incredible phone, I expected much more.

btw.. just did this post on the CR-48 I received today.. all I have to say is WOW.. Chrome OS ftw...

Not to hijack the thread, but if you haven't done so already, you should write a little review on the notebook

 

[Jerzyiroc]

Not to hijack the thread, but if you haven't done so already, you should write a little review on the notebook

lol ya I actually did it last night. I love this thing. It's ridiculously basic, but it's the most incredible basic thing I've ever used lol. And DAMN this thing looks nice. It's a flat black slap of pure sexiness lol.

 

[truslide]

^still jealous... Shift coming out in January...? Might have to use my girls update to get one... mwahahaha. She's eligible... Good thing about being the account holder on a family plan!