Here's Why No SD Card!

[starvingmind]

I think I figured it out. First, you need to realize that one key purpose of this device was to be the development phone for new Gingerbread hardware features not supported on the Nexus 1. So if it's a new hardware feature, like NFC...Nexus S needs to support and be an example of it.

Now, from the 2.3 SDK docs...

The Android 2.3 platform adds official support for devices that do not include SD cards (although it provides virtual SD Card partition, when no physical SD card is available). A convenience method, isExternalStorageRemovable(), lets applications determine whether a physical SD card is present.

Google needed the new dev phone to be not have a removable SD card, since that is a new "supported feature" in Gingerbread...and no other Android devices currently have that configuration.

This is first a foremost a dev phone...which just happens to be offered to consumers. Get that through your mind, and some of these decisions make sense.

Case closed.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Nice find, and if accurate, this decision still alienates the group of people who want direct/clean Android updates while still planning to treat their Nexus S as a device that can house their entire collection of music/movies, etc.

 

[JoseN305]

Im fine with that. Now why no 720p recordng?

 

[sookster54]

This device is a step BACKWARDS, the no SDcard slot is understandable on devices meant for industry/business purpose (same as no camera) much like many of the Blackberries for companies where those features aren't allowed in the facilities you work in.

But it seems they're trying to set a standard on getting rid of the microSD slot which is one of the most useful features in data mobility these days, many of the new WP7 phones doesn't have a microSD slot.

And yeah what's with the low res recording?

 

[voghan]

I don't care about the no external sd card. I never take my memory out anyways. I'm happy with the 16gb card I have in my phone. One day it might be nice to get a larger card, or maybe a replacement card if something breaks. My largest issue with this phone is it's not HSPA+. If it was I'd jump on this phone immediately.

 

[Chris Kerrigan]

The lack of an HD camera may be able to be changed with a future software update like happened with the incredible, that is assuming the lense even supports such a feature. Hopefully we'll find out soon and hopefully it can be changed, there are a lot of things about this phone that are very odd.

Sent from my Fascinate via Tapatalk Pro

 

[bcohen44]

I think it does have HD recording, just like the other Galaxy S phones. The playback resolution is 720x480, but I think the recording capabilities will be 720p. Look at the Features page on the official Nexus S site: Nexus S- The new Android phone from Google. Scroll down to Rear and front-facing cameras.

It says:

Rear and front-facing cameras
The rear-facing 5 megapixel camera is capable of taking stunning pictures and HD videos that you can share with friends and family. The front-facing camera can take VGA quality images and video.

 

[Asterisk]

I have a feeling that Nexus S will turn out to be a bigger flop than Nexus One.
Average customer doesn't know and won't care much for earlier OS updates. With Galaxy S massive ad campaign and availability + soon coming out dual core Tegra Honeycomb phones Nexus S will fade into oblivion. I will not be surprised if Nexus S sale figures will be less than Nexus One... Enjoy your "pure Google experience"...

(Nexus One owner)

 

[silverfang77]

Excluding microSD from a consumer phone is stupid. People like to store their media and data on removable cards so they can more easily transfer it to their computers.

 

[EvoCentric]

What also people are forgetting is that google is making the push more and more to cloud computing which would include you having the files that you would have on your SD instead being placed onto your "cloud" hard drive instead.

 

[miniZ]

Average customer doesn't know and won't care much for earlier OS updates. With Galaxy S massive ad campaign and availability + soon coming out dual core Tegra Honeycomb phones Nexus S will fade into oblivion.

"Average Consumer... Dual core Tegra Honeycomb."
So the average consumer does not care for early updates.. but is aware they are there. And! They are looking forward to dual core Tegra 2 Processors?
I understand what you are saying but if you are trying to make a point based on the average consumer, stick with their mindset.

I have heard this is a "Galaxy S with stock Android".. I see no issue with that. That's actually my idea of a solid phone. Forget how it feels. It is true that the Hummingbird processor is faster, and on 2.3? Almost as fast as an unsupported (so far) dual core processor. 720p is the size of the video, not the quality. I will stick with my Flip MinoHD for actual recording. My phone's current camera is perfect for a phone camera. People expect too much from phones. Give it 6 months and your "Flip Branded Android Phone" will be announced, and the world will rejoice. I am ?ber content with this phone.

 

[jeffizcool]

Google needed the new dev phone to be not have a removable SD card, since that is a new "supported feature" in Gingerbread...and no other Android devices currently have that configuration.

This is first a foremost a dev phone...which just happens to be offered to consumers. Get that through your mind, and some of these decisions make sense.

Case closed.

hello the continuum has an outside removable microsd slot. got any other reearched bright ideas?

I think it might have somthing to do with the RFD technology security wise.

 

[iandouglas]

I don't care about the no external sd card. I never take my memory out anyways.

Yeah, for me, being able to EXPAND the storage is more important than the ability to remove it.

 

[iandouglas]

google is making the push more and more to cloud computing which would include you having the files that you would have on your SD instead being placed onto your "cloud" hard drive instead.

Oh goody, eat up our limited bandwidth contracts by uploading every flippin' thing on the device to the "cloud"...

If they get a option built into the OS for wifi sync like Doubletwist's newest app currently does, then that's all I'd really need/want.

I'm also a little bummed about lack of LED notification.

 

[Smokexz]

Some people, like me, didn't really care anyways

 

[El Jefe]

I'm also a little bummed about lack of LED notification.

It's not surprising though since none of the Samsung Galaxy S phones have a LED notification light either. I think it seems like a pretty basic thing to omit, but it appears Samsung doesn't feel their phones need it for some reason.

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

hello the continuum has an outside removable microsd slot. got any other reearched bright ideas?

I think it might have somthing to do with the RFD technology security wise.

That didn't come off very friendly.....

The OP's point is that to test applications for use on a device that have no mount point for removable/microSD storage, you need one of those devices to develop on. Makes perfect sense to me.

 

[Johnly]

That didn't come off very friendly.....

The OP's point is that to test applications for use on a device that have no mount point for removable/microSD storage, you need one of those devices to develop on. Makes perfect sense to me.

I agree, but that is silly willy. What android devices are like that? I know it may be in part to tabs, and also sd card failures. Google does what it wants, but the droid X has 8 more gigs of memory off the shelf, so a nexus s is still disapointing, no matter the methodology behind it. I have a premium large sd card (not the generic class 2) kind, it is fast, and the nexus s not supporting it is disapointing friend, not to mention everything else as I will stay on topic. I still want one though!

 

[Smokexz]

Also I want to add that Google doesn't make these devices to compete with other manufacturers, so if you are planning to make this a user phone then you might a well head for the Fascinate. For people like me, I will purchase this device with confidence, knowing this will will be a very good high end choice til the end of next year, or hell, q2 2011.

Sent from my Samsung Vibrant

 

[Eazail70x7]

It's not surprising though since none of the Samsung Galaxy S phones have a LED notification light either. I think it seems like a pretty basic thing to omit, but it appears Samsung doesn't feel their phones need it for some reason.

The Epic 4g has a LED notification light. That's the only one though. It can be blue, purple or red