S3 Touchwiz Vs. Nexus

BJB1

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Greetings,

I am pretty familiar with the Galaxy Nexus and less so with the S2 although I have used the "Touchwiz" interface on other phones. I am trying to decide whether to get the Nexus now or wait for the S3.

If even half the rumors are true it looks like the S3 will have better hardware than the Nexus. However my question is on the touchwiz interface. Perhaps some people familiar with the S2 can assist in answering this since a logical assumption would be that the S3 would have the next version of this overlay.

I am not sure I necessarily want the touchwiz "skin" on top of ICS. I know no one can say for sure what the S3will do but on the S2, can the touchwiz "overlay" be turned off? I kind of like the straight ICS interface on the Nexus, but would not mind having the S3 hardware.

Thanks,

BJB1
 

cdmta

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You are this close, wait it out.
Touchwiz has improved a lot in the latest release. And you can safely bet it will be on the S3. That wouldn't deter me at all. I really like the widgets that samsung adds and it is a fairly "lightweight" skin that doesn't slow the normal operation of the device. You cannot turn off touchwiz, but you can install another launcher without having root. This will give you a more "stock" feel
You can rest assure that this phone will have a large following no matter what carrier you are on. So the development community will give you many options for customization (if you are the root and rom type). You will also see stock aosp in this for sure. I absolutely love how "open" they leave their devices for development.
In the end, it is your choice though. If money is a concern though, you'll fork out less for the older phone as always.
good luck,
chris
 

BJB1

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Thanks to both for the thoughts. I guess if it truly is "close" it makes sense to wait. And if Touchwiz is better, I could at least try it.
Thanks,
BJB1
 

BJB1

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One more question and consideration. I have setup a few Nexus phones with MyPhoneExplorer. Without getting into why it is better to just use google calendar, etc., does Kies Air REALLY allow you to to sync Outlook Contacts, Calendar, Tasks and Notes to a desktop Outlook installation's PST file (not a direct Outlook Exchange server sync)?

I looked at numerous posts about Kies Air and the desktop component and the results were, to say the least, not consistent.

If the S3 came with a product that would realiably sync all the above (not just one upload or backup) to a desktop outlook install, now that would be interesting...

Thanks,
BJB1
 

JayWill

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Touchwiz has come a long way, and I'd call it a good launcher. It's clean and snappy. However, the current version does lack certain simple functions, such as auto creation of folders for example, and the elimination of scrolling wallpaper has left a bad taste in some people's mouths. It's also always lacked in customization, but all stock launchers suffer from this. Hopefully, their first ICS pre-installed release will improve upon their current "GB Touchwiz skinned over ICS 4.0", which is what us SGS2 owners are getting.

Where I think Samsung really needs to improve is in their ROM itself. There are certain "features" beyond the launcher that fail to deliver a cohesive experience. HTC does a much better job with ROM firmware in my opinion.

Nexus is stock Android of course, so you get that experience. In the end, it's up to you which you prefer.
 

DaRkL3AD3R

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WAITTTTTT

Do NOT fall for the Nexus. It is not worth the money they charge. PenTile Super AMOLED is reason alone to wait for the S3 which will have a true 720p RGB screen. Trust me, you DON'T want that Nexus!!!


Not to mention, the Galaxy S3 is THE most hyped up phone of 2012 for Android. Expect a MASSIVE developer backing for sometime after its launch. It WILL have AOSP, you can take that to the bank.
 

BJB1

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Thanks for the thoughts. I am very familiar with the Nexus and like every phone has some shortcomings, but I like it a lot. I'll see what happens...it has to come out....and hit the right carrier....and be available, etc. etc.

BJB1
 

BEARD GANG

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I've recently switched from to bb to android and got a s2... And its the best phone I've ever used... The s3 will be a beast wait for that
 

anjali_jain

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In spite of the age of the Samsung Galaxy S2 compared to the much newer Galaxy Nexus, it does show off a better camera sensor and more powerful GPU. So we wouldn't be surprised if the same holds true for the Samsung Galaxy S3 even if its launches ahead of the Google Nexus 4 (especially if Samsung doesn't get the contract to make the next Nexus phone).
 

MannyZ28

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I would definitely wait for the S3. Which carrier are you on? I have read some blogs with long term reviews and one particular one (not sure if I am allowed to mention another website) complained about rather poor reception with the Verizon Galaxy Nexus, that alone would be a deterrant to me. I really don't see too much of an advantage in the GNex over a phone like the S2 (especially the Sprint and AT&T versions which use the Exynos processor, not the Snapdragon like the T-Mobile version and the Skyfire on AT&T) since the only advantages it offers over the S2 are the 720p display (although "only" being the pentile version as mentioned above) and the fact that it runs vanilla ICS which guarantees the fastest updates. The Ti Omap under the hood isn't the fastest thing in the world, and in all reviews I have seen of the GNex, there was always the complaint that it didn't feel as fast as you'd expect it to be, especially with a live wallpaper running. I was excited about the Nexus but was disappointed by the reviews. I am definitely waiting for the S3 (I have the Sprint S2 right now) and if it isn't what I am expecting it to be, I will settle for the Evo 4G LTE (mainly because of the nice screen and higher resolution, but also because hardware wise, it does represent a legitimate upgrade over the S2).

However, if you're impatient and have to have a new phone now, you can always buy it at Best Buy and get their buy back protection plan, that way you can sell it back to them within 6 months for 50% of the retail price which will help ease the sting of buying a new phone again for full price.
 

richardpaul

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S3‭ ‬will have better hardware than the Nexus.‭ ‬Galaxy Nexus was the first Android smartphone in the US to come with Android's latest OS,‭ ‬Ice Cream Sandwich.‭ ‬It will now have the LTE support from?‭ ‬Sprint.‭ ‬The Nexus,‭ ‬however,‭ ‬will run on‭ ‬3G for some time now but Sprint is almost geared up to launch its high-speed data network LTE in the six or so cities within a very short period of time.
 
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BEARD GANG

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Man im seriously thinking of stayin with my galaxy s2until next year now...unless the ifone has a better design and ios does not feel like a toy...
 

Tkbredx

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The features alone make me want to keep TouchWiz. Its really not that bad. Plus with root-ability, apps, and everything Touch Wiz will be a lot better.
 

smooth4lyfe

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My thing with the nexus is that it does not have a MicroSD card slot, so ur stuck with internal memory which I prefer not to do

But yeah use another launcher... I also use Nova Launcher and it's amazing

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3 Boyyyyyy!
 

neiljay6

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I dunno. I've tried nova, apex and go launcher and they are all great. Especially Nova. But after awhile I keep finding my self always going back to TW. So many good features and only small inconveniences such as folders. Also i know most will disagree, but I do find it faster than all the other launchers. When you are on the home screen, i don't know if its the effect transition from screen to screen or what, but its sooo smooth.
 

smooth4lyfe

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I dunno. I've tried nova, apex and go launcher and they are all great. Especially Nova. But after awhile I keep finding my self always going back to TW. So many good features and only small inconveniences such as folders. Also i know most will disagree, but I do find it faster than all the other launchers. When you are on the home screen, i don't know if its the effect transition from screen to screen or what, but its sooo smooth.

I wouldn't be surprised if this was the case...I mean Touchwiz was made for the GS3 so it has to be at its best performance
 

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