Anybody else pissed at Verizon (re: Galaxy S2)

[cggeek911]

Isn't hardware acceleration part of ICS? If so, other phones (i.e., SGS2) will have it as soon as they get ICS, right? (which admittedly will probably be months, unless you root)

Maybe so, I'm not sure. Personally, I don't root my devices so I would like the Nexus device over anything else

 

[obi5683]

If I had the choice between the SGSII and the Nexus, I'd pick the Nexus. Larger pictures are not better pictures. The GPU is more widely available on other phones (different versions of it) so more software will be optimized for it. Screen is better, IMO. I hate OEM customizations. This will always have the latest version of Android on it. Next year's Nexus will have JB first, but this device will have a shorter wait than any other phone that launches with ICS.

The only reason that I am unhappy with Verizon is that we are getting charged way more for our 4G phones than any other carrier. I understand that LTE is better, but I can get an SGSII at TMO at a much lower cost. I don't even really care about the speeds. I want to be able to use data and voice at the same time. That is the only reason for me to get LTE. I have 25MB up and down at my house and I don't download much while mobile. I barely use 250MB/mo. I want to be able to spend about $100 less to get this phone.

 

[obi5683]

DROID RAZR has the OMAP 4430 clocked at 1.2 GHz and it benchmarked above (not by much) the SGSII on CF-bench. Nexus has the OMAP 4460 clocked at 1.2 GHz. FWIW.

 

[cridley66]

Dude, read the thread more closely before posting. We aren't complaining about a phone here. We are complaining about VERIZON. Get your facts straight

When a company to which I pay a lot of money promises me something "better" and "soon," you better believe I expect it to be (significantly) better and soon!

You are complaining about a phone. Besides, you are not paying Verizon to supply you with the best phone (your opinion), you are paying Verizon for the best service that can be used by the phones they offer.

So I think my facts are straight here, but I know it's hard to see that when you're crying.

 

[ottscay]

There's no such thing as a GS2 with LTE that would be just like the other GS2s - it would be thicker and have substantially worse battery life. Or (realistically) it would have just been a 3G phone. And then you guys would be whining about that.

Moreover, Verizon has more top tier Android phones than any other carrier - so the fact that they skipped on one isn't really that huge a deal. Should we expect tons of posts on how Sprint, AT&T, and T-mobile skipped on the RAZR and the Incredible 2?

People get bent out of shape over whether Phone X will be available, even though it will be bested in 3 months anyhow. If a particular phone is so important to you, just switch carriers - people do it all the time! The biggest and most glaring absence on Verizon the last few years has been a stock Nexus phone of any sort. And the Nexus ties in to a much bigger issue: whether carriers are giving consumers a reasonable choice in other ways - like whether you will get to choose between available parts of the ecosystem (like ISIS and Google Wallet) or if Verizon is going to force you to take the one they want and not provide consumer choice. That sort of anti-consumer action is the real issue, and a untouched Nexus device is the solution.

So don't be pissed about Verizon missing one phone in its stable of dozens - be concerned about whether Verizon is about to try and screw you in a much larger and more important way.

 

[mngdew]

I was also upset about VZW not offering SII, but I got over it after doing some research on SII. The Exynos in SII is not compatible with LTE (that's why SS announced LTE version of SII recently). SII without LTE is useless to me. Once you taste the speed of LTE, you can't go back to 3G.

 

[phositadc]

So don't be pissed about Verizon missing one phone in its stable of dozens - be concerned about whether Verizon is about to try and screw you in a much larger and more important way.

Uh-oh, what does that even mean?

 

[soccerfon711]

The SGSII would have come to Verizon without 4G, which is something that we are going to Verizon not allowing in the future. Verizon has already stated that 4G was going to be their primary network within the next two years. Honestly 4G LTE matters more to me than an 8 MP camera.

 

[ottscay]

Uh-oh, what does that even mean?

It means they still want to pre-install some apps on it. That they may want to block your right to choose from other people's ecosystems (the one that is the most obvious is they may want to block Google Wallet because they want you to use ISIS, which is the electronic payment system that they are invested in). Basically, that they want to offer a pseudo-Nexus, to try and please people who want a stock ICS experience, while still locking their users out of services they don't want to have to compete against.

The Verizon Galaxy Nexus and the iPhone 4S are the two most important phones on Verizon right now whether you want to get one of them or not - because those phones actually allow (or threaten to allow) consumers to use apps and services that Verizon would rather bar you from. They want to force you to use services that will make them more money, rather than having to compete against those services to win consumers over.

 

[Asterdroid]

It means they still want to pre-install some apps on it. That they may want to block your right to choose from other people's ecosystems (the one that is the most obvious is they may want to block Google Wallet because they want you to use ISIS, which is the electronic payment system that they are invested in). Basically, that they want to offer a pseudo-Nexus, to try and please people who want a stock ICS experience, while still locking their users out of services they don't want to have to compete against.

The Verizon Galaxy Nexus and the iPhone 4S are the two most important phones on Verizon right now whether you want to get one of them or not - because those phones actually allow (or threaten to allow) consumers to use apps and services that Verizon would rather bar you from. They want to force you to use services that will make them more money, rather than having to compete against those services to win consumers over.

While I appreciate your concern, I don't think it will be an issue. Verizon has never forced anyone to use VZNavigator on an Android phone, for example. It wouldn't be a Nexus device if it gets bloatware.

 

[ottscay]

While I appreciate your concern, I don't think it will be an issue. Verizon has never forced anyone to use VZNavigator on an Android phone, for example. It wouldn't be a Nexus device if it gets bloatware.

VZ Nav was an example - Google Maps is too big a seller to actually remove it (although Storm users had no choice but to use it). On the other hand many Verizon Androidphones were forced to use Bing as their default search enginge. Verizon has a long history of doing this. I'd guess that Google Wallet is most at risk here, but I could also see them demanding integration of their contacts manager into the People app, for example.

And remember: Nexus is a brand name. What a Nexus "is" is however the phone ships with the name intact. Google has good reason for trying to maintain the purity of the Nexus experience, but Verizon also has a lot of incentives to try and add other crap to it. This is my point - given Verizon's long history of anti-consumer actions on a host of different phones people should be reminding Verizon of how important this is to us.

 

[Asterdroid]

VZ Nav was an example - Google Maps is too big a seller to actually remove it (although Storm users had no choice but to use it). On the other hand many Verizon Androidphones were forced to use Bing as their default search enginge. Verizon has a long history of doing this. I'd guess that Google Wallet is most at risk here, but I could also see them demanding integration of their contacts manager into the People app, for example.

And remember: Nexus is a brand name. What a Nexus "is" is however the phone ships with the name intact. Google has good reason for trying to maintain the purity of the Nexus experience, but Verizon also has a lot of incentives to try and add other crap to it. This is my point - given Verizon's long history of anti-consumer actions on a host of different phones people should be reminding Verizon of how important this is to us.

I just feel that Nexus phones will be treated the same way as the iPhone and not receive any carrier bloatware. Only time will tell.

 

[ottscay]

I just feel that Nexus phones will be treated the same way as the iPhone and not receive any carrier bloatware. Only time will tell.

Could totally be. Hope so!

 

[Droid800]

It means they still want to pre-install some apps on it. That they may want to block your right to choose from other people's ecosystems (the one that is the most obvious is they may want to block Google Wallet because they want you to use ISIS, which is the electronic payment system that they are invested in). Basically, that they want to offer a pseudo-Nexus, to try and please people who want a stock ICS experience, while still locking their users out of services they don't want to have to compete against.

The Verizon Galaxy Nexus and the iPhone 4S are the two most important phones on Verizon right now whether you want to get one of them or not - because those phones actually allow (or threaten to allow) consumers to use apps and services that Verizon would rather bar you from. They want to force you to use services that will make them more money, rather than having to compete against those services to win consumers over.

Did you pay attention to the ICS conference at all? ALL installed apps, whether carrier-installed or Google core apps, are uninstallable, and there is NOTHING that Verizon can do about it. You're worrying for no reason.

 

[kvlt]

Did you pay attention to the ICS conference at all? ALL installed apps, whether carrier-installed or Google core apps, are uninstallable, and there is NOTHING that Verizon can do about it. You're worrying for no reason.

Not uninstallable. You can simply freeze them, not remove them.

 

[Captain Hindsight]

DROID RAZR has the OMAP 4430 clocked at 1.2 GHz and it benchmarked above (not by much) the SGSII on CF-bench. Nexus has the OMAP 4460 clocked at 1.2 GHz. FWIW.

The RAZR has the 4460.