Worth upgrading to Nexus S from nexus one?

netninja

Active member
Dec 8, 2010
35
2
0
Visit site
Hi everyone,

I've been thinking seriously about upgrading to the nexus S from my nexus one. There are a few shortcomings to the phone but I think true multitouch, bigger better display and Gingerbread (latest updates) might make it worth it.

So I'm interested to find out who upgraded from a nexus one and if you feel it was a worthy upgrade?

thanks!
 

Baconator

AC Adviser
Nov 21, 2010
996
122
0
Visit site
It's all on what you want. If you want the front camera and NFC then get the Nexus S. Also the Nexus S is faster than the Nexus Uno so if you want to upgrade which I recommend then go for it. The Nexus S is missing a lot of features others would like to see but there are ways around that just see my thread Answers to Nexus S problems click on Nexus S answers on my signature for the answers others and I came up with. THANK ME IF THIS HELPS.
 
  • Like
Reactions: netninja

netninja

Active member
Dec 8, 2010
35
2
0
Visit site
Front facing camera and NFC are features I doubt I would use much. Like I said earlier it's the bigger better display, multitouch and latest google updates that are te attraction for me.

It's a tough decision. Does anyone know if cyanogen bought a nexus s? Because rom support is anothr big thing for me.
 

iandouglas

Active member
Jul 16, 2010
25
3
0
Visit site
I've owned the Nexus One since February, and bought the Nexus S the day it was released at Best Buy.

Front-facing camera ... meh. Not enough FFC's out there yet within my circle of friends/family to make this useful for anything yet, and so far only Tango supports the gingerbread API to even activate it. I was able to video-chat with a coworker on an iPhone 4 to test it, but haven't actually used it for anything.

I miss the trackball on the N1.

Camera on Nexus S is much improved. Comes with a built-in macro mode too which is neat for extreme closeups. The UI is improved too, giving you shutter speed control, focus control, etc., but they removed the zoom feature. Granted, digital zoom sucks, but it was still nice to have.

Gingerbread is nice, but not earth-shattering. ("I look forward to your letters..." - Craig Ferguson) I installed ADWLauncher Ex when it went on sale, but I haven't been completely rocked by 2.3 or 2.3.1 by any means. One thing I do like about 2.3 is that the notification icons for wifi/3G icons turn green when your phone has a connection back to the mothership (google). I also prefer the black notification bar. One thing I HATE-HATE-HATE (and rooted my n1 to get Astro to copy off the root partition for) are the gingerbread ringtones and notifcation sounds. Holy CRAP whose 5-year old kid came up with those?! I copied my N1 ringtones and notification sounds to my NS "usb storage" (what they'd call SD storage on phones with SD storage) and use those instead.

The display is almost too bright, even on Auto or Off modes. Hopefully it doesn't suffer from the massive burn-in my Nexus One ended up with. The extra 0.3" worth of screen is almost undetectable, but the quality of the screen is much nicer than the N1.

Wifi strength seems weaker. I read a rumor that they used a lower-power wifi radio chip in the Nexus S.

And no, it doesn't support T-Mobile's 4G network. But that's not much of an issue for me.

Lack of SD storage was almost a deal breaker for me. Having 1GB for apps instead of 512MB is awfully nice, but knowing that I've only got 13GB for music/photos already feels cramped. I whined about lack of LED notification for charging or when I had an Email/etc, but I got over it within a day or two.

Battery life feels much improved over my N1. I had to buy a second battery for my N1 "just in case" but the NS seems to last longer.

The device *feels* faster, but since Quadrant doesn't run on Gingerbread yet, i can't say how much faster it actually is.

Multitouch is SOOOO nice to have. Nuff said. Still, I use Swype for my keyboard choice 99% of the time, so the only thing I actually use MT for is Google Maps to rotate maps in 3D mode just to show off to my coworkers who have iPhones or PalmOS devices.

Not a fan of the headphone port in the bottom right corner of the device though. Understandable given how they designed the battery cover, but it'll make a car dock hard to find... Battery cover is a pain to remove, and feels flimsy, but it's sturdy enough.

All that said, there's one thing that still has me considering returning my Nexus S ... lack of an Android-recognized car dock. I bought two N1 car docks, one for my car (duh) and one to stick to the base of one of my LCD monitors at work to use as a landscape clock/Pandora/TweetDeck/whatever.

Hope all of that helps. Ping me if you have other questions about the device that I can share.

netninja, i read a tweet the other day that Cyanogen has a CM7 Alpha that works on the Nexus S, so *somebody* on the team has one.
 
  • Like
Reactions: netninja

big_time2

Well-known member
Jan 13, 2010
237
8
0
Visit site
I switched from Nexus One to Nexus S and I'm satisfied with it as of now. At first I was thinking of returning it but I will be keeping it.

I've had Nexus One since the first week it was released and I thought it was the best phone ever, until I used Nexus S for a few days.

If you upgrade to Nexus S you will definitely like the screen size. It is not that big of a difference but you will notice it. Also just the screen. Nexus One was such a pain outdoors, couldn't see much, Nexus S is way better. Also screen reflection, Nexus One you could pretty much see your face in the reflection on any and every screen, Nexus S is not as bad.

Oh, and battery will last you the whole day with heavy usage.
 
  • Like
Reactions: netninja

helipilotx

Member
Dec 28, 2010
12
0
0
Visit site
No LED Trackball waiting message ...

Hi guys!
I like the nexus S also, but the only thing what keeps me away from it is that i LOVE the flashing LED trackball. :cool:

I don't have to touch the phone to see whether there is a message waiting or I had a missed call. (color coding ... CM) :p

It's to bad they took this great feature away from it! :(
 

KU Kitch

Member
Dec 29, 2009
20
1
0
Visit site
Instead of the trackball try NoLed from the market, works pretty well as a substitute I've found... I think it's worth the upgrade, my path went from N1 to Vibrant to NS and I haven't looked back really at all
 

VCL

Well-known member
Dec 28, 2010
82
1
0
Visit site
No HSPA+ does slow down the downloads. I have a Nexus One and the MyTouch 4G, live in a very fast HSPA+ area. My dl speeds are on average about 3700, uploads are 1400 these #'s are at peek times in day on the Nexus One. The MyTouch 4G does on average 5300 dl and the uploads are strangely the same1400. I see these consistencies through out the day and late into the night. Sayng that I still reach for my Nexus One. Just love the way it feels in my had, trackball notification is great, When Gingerbread is DL onto the Nexus One, it will be just as fast as the Nexus S. Everyone is making excuses for the Nexus S shortcomings, You shouldn't have to, it should have come with these options. Can you imagine no Led notification at all, you have to go to the market. Who the hell was sleeping when they should have been awake???? Just my Opinion.
 
Dec 18, 2010
22
1
0
Visit site
I was in the same boat and got a Nexus S the first day. I ended up returning in yesterday. Yes it is a great phone, but it wasn't worth the upgrade for me. hone just felt like a rush job and not as well developed / finished as the Nexus One. Despite having both I found myself using the One more often. After using it, I realized why Gingerbread isn't ready for the Nexus One yet - its buggy. Maybe in a few months, after they have the issues worked out and more accessories, it will be a better buy for me. However, by then Tetra 2 dual core phones will be hitting the market.



Cyanogen released an Alpha build Goethe Nexus S yesterday, so expect more in the future.

Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: netninja

Baconator

AC Adviser
Nov 21, 2010
996
122
0
Visit site
This is what I recommend, go to Best Buy and play with the Nexus S if they have a display. I you like it buy it and try it out. While you have it see if it is a good enough upgrade, if not return it and get your money back. I don't see what would be wrong if you did that. It would help YOU see for YOURSELF if the Nexus S is a good enough upgrade. The main attractions for me are the Pure google so updates first and front camera because I do video chat with a lot of my friends that live in other states. They get to see the basketball games live because I am showing them with the front camera. I recommend trying the phone out. If it ois not for you return it. Hope this helps! Good luck on trying it out!
 
Dec 18, 2010
22
1
0
Visit site
YMMV. Go try one out and see if you like it. In the end only you will know if its right for you. Don't like it after a couple weeks, take it back.

Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk
 

Baconator

AC Adviser
Nov 21, 2010
996
122
0
Visit site
I've barely touched my Nexus One since I got the Nexus S.

I am really wanting a Nexus One so if you end up never using it, tell me if I can buy it off of you because I really want one and they are too much on ebay and I really don't trust Craigslist. So please tell me if you will sell it to me.
 

netninja

Active member
Dec 8, 2010
35
2
0
Visit site
Appreciate everybody's thoughts on this. Still seems like 50-50 though.

As for why I don't just go into a store and just try it out myself, I live in Canada and the device isn't available in stores here therefore it's not possible. I would get a friend of mine in the States to buy one and ship it to me.

Would love to try it hands on believe me. That's what I did when deciding between the galaxy tab vs ipad.

I've really just been reading reviews, and watching nexus s unboxings on youtube to help me decide and garnering the opinions of you esteemed fellows on androidcentral.

Nexus one is a great device but i've always been bothered by the touchscreen. Nexus S has true mutltitouch but as others have already pointed out, it seems like a rushed product. No gorilla glass, led notifications etc. All these should be standard on a premium android device.

I know there will be tegra 2 phones and what not coming out at CES but to be perfectly frank that doesn't really entice me. On the Android platform, the most important thing in my opinion is having the latest OS from Google and not so much the specs. That's one thing the Nexus S really has going for it. If I skip the nexus s, it'll mean another 12 months of waiting till the next pure google device.

Decisions..decisions..
 

Baconator

AC Adviser
Nov 21, 2010
996
122
0
Visit site
Appreciate everybody's thoughts on this. Still seems like 50-50 though.

As for why I don't just go into a store and just try it out myself, I live in Canada and the device isn't available in stores here therefore it's not possible. I would get a friend of mine in the States to buy one and ship it to me.

Would love to try it hands on believe me. That's what I did when deciding between the galaxy tab vs ipad.

I've really just been reading reviews, and watching nexus s unboxings on youtube to help me decide and garnering the opinions of you esteemed fellows on androidcentral.

Nexus one is a great device but i've always been bothered by the touchscreen. Nexus S has true mutltitouch but as others have already pointed out, it seems like a rushed product. No gorilla glass, led notifications etc. All these should be standard on a premium android device.

I know there will be tegra 2 phones and what not coming out at CES but to be perfectly frank that doesn't really entice me. On the Android platform, the most important thing in my opinion is having the latest OS from Google and not so much the specs. That's one thing the Nexus S really has going for it. If I skip the nexus s, it'll mean another 12 months of waiting till the next pure google device.

Decisions..decisions..

That reminds me of me! I did the same thing. I would do nothing but watch unboxings and read reviews. I finally made the decision to go get the phone and I don't regret it at all. What I regret is not getting it earlier. This ohone is awesome. Even thought there are missing features there are always ways to get around them or even download an app the can take the place of that feature.
 

iandouglas

Active member
Jul 16, 2010
25
3
0
Visit site
please tell me if you will sell it to me.

Sorry, it's been promised to a friend for a long time. I passed up several upgrades over the summer/fall because I honestly never found a better phone than my Nexus One. That thing's built like a freakin' tank. I told him if I ever DID upgrade my phone, he'd get first dibs on it.
 

iandouglas

Active member
Jul 16, 2010
25
3
0
Visit site
While you have it see if it is a good enough upgrade, if not return it and get your money back

Which is an option NOW, now that Best Buy nixed their 15% restocking fee...

Netninja, in my opinion, Gorilla Glass isn't a deal breaker. The Nexus One didn't have it, either, and my screen never scratched. And it's a flat piece of glass. At least the Nexus S has a very slight curve to it so placing it face down won't scratch the glass on anything. And the lack of LED notification isn't that big of a deal. My screen turns on for a few seconds if a new Email or text comes in, which alerts me as much as the flashing ball on the Nexus One.

But as others have said, if you want to try one out, get someone in the US to order one, ship it to you, and you'll have a week or two to try it out. If you decide you don't want it, ship it back to your friend so they can go get a refund.
 

Baconator

AC Adviser
Nov 21, 2010
996
122
0
Visit site
Which is an option NOW, now that Best Buy nixed their 15% restocking fee...

Netninja, in my opinion, Gorilla Glass isn't a deal breaker. The Nexus One didn't have it, either, and my screen never scratched. And it's a flat piece of glass. At least the Nexus S has a very slight curve to it so placing it face down won't scratch the glass on anything. And the lack of LED notification isn't that big of a deal. My screen turns on for a few seconds if a new Email or text comes in, which alerts me as much as the flashing ball on the Nexus One.

But as others have said, if you want to try one out, get someone in the US to order one, ship it to you, and you'll have a week or two to try it out. If you decide you don't want it, ship it back to your friend so they can go get a refund.

Exactly. It is just a lot harder since you live in Canada. Maybe a Canadian version will come out first thing next month.