My First Android Phone - Galaxy S II LTE vs Galaxy Nexus

[svjones]

Hello Android Central;

I'm very interested in getting a new phone and leaning towards getting an Android. I've done a lot of research but still not completely sure what to do so to the forums I go! I am with Rogers, so I'm trying to keep the phones in mind that are locked to this carrier. My thoughts so far are:

Samsung Galaxy S II LTE
Samsung Galaxy Nexus (To be released in Jan)

My first stop for figuring out which to choose was the Review's on Android Central and also GSMArena for some spec comparison. According to Android Central's reviews and this article Help Android Central on a new feature, the Galaxy S II is given a 7.5 over the Galaxy Nexus 8.0. Now sticking to just these two phones for now, here is the comparison...

Processor: 1.2GHz Dual Core vs 1.5GHz Dual Core
RAM: 1gb vs 1 gb
Screen: 4.65in vs 4.52in
Camera Front: 5mp vs 8 mp
Camera Back: 1.3 mp vs 2mp
Memory: 16gb vs 16gb
Card Slot: No vs Yes (Up to 32gb)
OS: 4.0 ICS vs 2.3 GB
Battery: Li-Ion 1750 mAh vs Li-Ion 1850 mAh


I know I'm missing a lot for the comparison (it's 5am, gimme a break) but so far, the Galaxy S II LTE seems better then the Galaxy Nexus side by side in this sort of comparison. Did it get a better rating because it's the first to get ICS or is there more to it? Also, did Samsung not just announce that they would be releasing ICS to the Galaxy S II (and other devices) in the new year sometime? So if that's a big selling point to get the G Nexus, if you don't mind waiting wouldn't I want a better hardware phone?

Some side questions, hopefully someone can answer.
1. The Video Calling, is that hardware or Software? Meaning, if I got the Galaxy S II (after ICS is released to it), would I be able to talk to X amount of people through video calling like the Google Nexus is advertising?
2. Is there anything that I am missing that puts Google's Galaxy Nexus above everything else and I should just forget any other phone and get it? The Flagship is suppose to be the best of the best leading the way and from the looks of it on paper, it wasn't released with the specs it could have been.

 

[svjones]

The Galaxy Nexus is being released on Rogers on Jan 10th so I have about a week to decide. Anyone have anything to say, positive or negative?

 

[buckifvr]

If you're considering GN and Razr, then you should also consider the HTC Rezound.

 

[svjones]

If you're considering GN and Razr, then you should also consider the HTC Rezound.

I removed RAZR from my list but Galaxy Nexus is still there. Also, the HTC Rezound is not offered through Rogers and I don't plan on buying a phone outright, unlocking it and using it with my carrier.

 

[JeffDenver]

Hello Android Central;

I'm very interested in getting a new phone and leaning towards getting an Android. I've done a lot of research but still not completely sure what to do so to the forums I go! I am with Rogers, so I'm trying to keep the phones in mind that are locked to this carrier. My thoughts so far are:

Samsung Galaxy S II LTE
Samsung Galaxy Nexus (To be released in Jan)

If I had to choose between those, I would definitely go with the Galaxy S2. If the Galaxy S2 had a higher res screen, it could complete with the current heavy weights still...it was THAT good. I think the Galaxy S2 is probably the best Android phone in general since the Droid 1 and original Nexus.

My real advice would be to skip it and go with the Razr or the HTC Rezound. They are both superior to the Galaxy S2 and Nexus S in every way, often by a wide margin.

The GN has a better screen than the Galaxy S2 (and it has ICS), but has no SD support and a crappier camera. Despite the name, it is not really a step up from the Galaxy S2 in many ways. The only real appeal of "Nexus" phones is that they are vanilla Android. If that is not a big issue for you, I would go with whatever has better hardware. And the Galaxy S2 has better hardware than the Nexus S. I would assume the Galaxy S2s will get ICS eventually. Its an extremely popular phone and has a huge base and certainly has the hardware to handle it.

EDIT - I misread your post...you said Galaxy Nexus, not Nexus S, which is what I saw. I think my advice is the same though...I'd rather have a Galaxy S2 than a Galaxy Nexus.

Some side questions, hopefully someone can answer.
1. The Video Calling, is that hardware or Software?

Both. You need a front camera to use it. The rest is done via apps. Skype will do it, as will Tango.

2. Is there anything that I am missing that puts Google's Galaxy Nexus above everything else and I should just forget any other phone and get it? The Flagship is suppose to be the best of the best

Yeah, you would think so. But Google has dropped the ball on the Nexus series...the Nexus One was the only device that deserved the name "Google flagship product". The ones since then have been disappointing IMO.

 

[zartan5000]

I have a Gnex and my girlfriend has the S2. Given the S2 is slightly better hardwarewise, my Gnex outperforms it in literally every way. Way longer battery, general speed is faster, not as much studder or force closes. UI is more streamlined and neat, navigation works better. Seriously, anytime we are out and have to do something quickly, we always defer to my phone to do it. On top of all that, if you are into adding customizations thru roms, the nexus is clearly hands down on being better for this as well. The only bad thing about getting my Gnex was not having swype right off the bat when I bought it. Of course, this is a non-issue now. While you have already bought your phone by now, hopefully this will help someone else.