I will soon be a 1st time smartphone owner. Because of that, I have 0 experience in the world of android: bloat, different UI's, etc. I doubt I will ever be a heavy user. Uses: some email/internet, medical apps(I'm a med student), occasional game/movie. I've had my eye on the galaxy nexus, but I'm wondering in the grand scheme of things, is there that big of a difference in experience between a nexus device and any other higher end android device? Thanks.
Nexus experience for 1st time user
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qnet
Well-known member
- Jan 21, 2011
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If you're not a heavy user, you may be satisfied with other popular phones like the Razr or Rezound. The Razr has a lot of built-in features for the average user that you might like.
I'd suggest going to the Verizon store and checking out different phones. I'm sort of in-between, like you I'm not a heavy user compared to some of these guys/gals on this forum but, I 've had good experiences with Nexus phones so, I like them a lot. I also know a little from tweaking and playing with several different types of phones , some have OEM UI's and some pure Android.
I'd suggest going to the Verizon store and checking out different phones. I'm sort of in-between, like you I'm not a heavy user compared to some of these guys/gals on this forum but, I 've had good experiences with Nexus phones so, I like them a lot. I also know a little from tweaking and playing with several different types of phones , some have OEM UI's and some pure Android.
I'm in the same boat - 1st time smartphone user, sometimes questioning my decision to wait for the Galaxy Nexus.
My expectation is that for the 720$ over 24 months added cost I'm going to want absolutely the best experience I can find, and I don't want to risk being limited either by the manufacturer or the dev community if I do decide at some point in these two years to get more tech-savvy and do crazy things with it. So far from all reviews, this phone gives the best overall experience with the highest chance of great support for the full contract period, and it will give me the most options from here on out. That said, the reviews for the Rezound and RAZR are equally glowing in different ways, and they're marketed to different groups. Rezound is for audiophiles, RAZR is style-conscious, Nexus is tech-forward - at least that's the impression I get from the reviews. I would get the Rezound if I was a heavy music listener, the RAZR if I wanted to use Motoactv, and Nexus if I just want a reliable device.
That's how I see it.
My expectation is that for the 720$ over 24 months added cost I'm going to want absolutely the best experience I can find, and I don't want to risk being limited either by the manufacturer or the dev community if I do decide at some point in these two years to get more tech-savvy and do crazy things with it. So far from all reviews, this phone gives the best overall experience with the highest chance of great support for the full contract period, and it will give me the most options from here on out. That said, the reviews for the Rezound and RAZR are equally glowing in different ways, and they're marketed to different groups. Rezound is for audiophiles, RAZR is style-conscious, Nexus is tech-forward - at least that's the impression I get from the reviews. I would get the Rezound if I was a heavy music listener, the RAZR if I wanted to use Motoactv, and Nexus if I just want a reliable device.
That's how I see it.
Well, I have to say that I don't care for Android on my wife's Fascinate. I prefer the UI on my webOS Palm Pre Plus, but it looks like ICS is bridging that gap and since it will get updates from Google, I think it would be the perfect "first Android" device. It will be my first Android phone.
As a heavy smartphone user, and used many different smartphones and I really like my original Droid since it provided the best android experience on Verizon with very little bloatware, to my current Droid Charge, with lot of bloatware.
I am holding out for the Galaxy Nexus, even though it has myverizon and VZW backup assist (but in ICS you can disable them) but the great value of owning a Nexus phone, is the updates will come straight from Google. So you are kept up to date on android. Take my Charge, it is still running Froyo 2.2.1, and I had to install the leak Gingerbread to improve the battery life and had to root my phone to remove the bloatware. I wish OEM/carriers will properly update their phones or even send out security fixes faster.
I am holding out for the Galaxy Nexus, even though it has myverizon and VZW backup assist (but in ICS you can disable them) but the great value of owning a Nexus phone, is the updates will come straight from Google. So you are kept up to date on android. Take my Charge, it is still running Froyo 2.2.1, and I had to install the leak Gingerbread to improve the battery life and had to root my phone to remove the bloatware. I wish OEM/carriers will properly update their phones or even send out security fixes faster.
In the same exact boat except i graduated from medical school around the time you were born....
I am going with the Galaxy Nexus for several reasons...
One of my best friends has been a Google employee for 8 years now,,, knows the game very well and they are telling me i would be a fool for not getting it over any other currently released Android device that Verizon Wireless is offering
It makes no sense to me not to go with the newest operating system and the phone designed to use it from day one. The GN has no capacitance or physical buttons b/c ICS allows for that. Why give up valuable real estate with older Android devices when its not necessary.
I keep my cell phone for at least two years..... I want the NFC capability,,, i might even use it over the next two years. i see google wallet all over the place.
I had a palm pilot and loved the beaming ability,,, the GN has that too.
It has an HD 720 screen. i ruled out the Razr for that reason. The Rezound's screen is amazing. no reason not to have HD for the next several years.
So if the phone is not a dud,,, and i advise you to wait two weeks and monitor this BB,,, if there are no major issues with the phone and the OS, i am getting one.
Best of luck with your professional goals (praying Obamacare does not kill you earlier than expected) and on your choice of phones. Heck, at least with cell phones you can have a choice whether or not to buy one
David
The GN will offer plenty for even the first time user....
Think of it like this. When you buy a PC it will come loaded with all sort of crap you'll never use and some stuff you will.....that's a non nexus. Where as if you were to buy Windows 7 and install it yourself that will be pretty much the only thing that's on the PC, that's a nexus.
Its just cleaner and more stream line. All the basic functions are still part of the os like windows has "paint" and internet explorer you still have a camera app and a browser. The apps that some manufactures include that you do think are useful you can usually find a very similar app in the app store....like Motorola has smart actions, the app store equivalent some might consider tasker (never used either)....
You'll get pretty speedy updates from Google compared to a non nexus phone. But you will also find its share of bugs that a non nexus phone holds the update until its fixed SOMETIMES.
Don't let "developer phone" scare you off. Its a dev phone because its pure android so manufacture UI won't mess with apps developed for it. Plus you have good hardware, great screen, good camera with no shutter lag, super fast data with Verizon, nfc if that ever gets more popular, etc etc...
I toyed around with the idea of running out and getting a razr today then I just read the GN review from AC. Needless to say I'm definitely back to waiting...
Think of it like this. When you buy a PC it will come loaded with all sort of crap you'll never use and some stuff you will.....that's a non nexus. Where as if you were to buy Windows 7 and install it yourself that will be pretty much the only thing that's on the PC, that's a nexus.
Its just cleaner and more stream line. All the basic functions are still part of the os like windows has "paint" and internet explorer you still have a camera app and a browser. The apps that some manufactures include that you do think are useful you can usually find a very similar app in the app store....like Motorola has smart actions, the app store equivalent some might consider tasker (never used either)....
You'll get pretty speedy updates from Google compared to a non nexus phone. But you will also find its share of bugs that a non nexus phone holds the update until its fixed SOMETIMES.
Don't let "developer phone" scare you off. Its a dev phone because its pure android so manufacture UI won't mess with apps developed for it. Plus you have good hardware, great screen, good camera with no shutter lag, super fast data with Verizon, nfc if that ever gets more popular, etc etc...
I toyed around with the idea of running out and getting a razr today then I just read the GN review from AC. Needless to say I'm definitely back to waiting...
The only thing I would warn all you 1st timers about is that this is a brand new OS build so there is obviously going to be some bugs. You may want to wait a month or 2 and see how it pans out as far as major bugs or anything like that. A lot of the more techie users don't care about the bugs because they are use to it anyway since most of them root and flash ROMs that tend to have bugs here and there. For someone who is a first time user it may spoil the android experience when say, their volume randomly turns off if they are using 2G or WiFi which is currently a bug on some of the GN's out there. BUT while there may be bugs and what not according to reviews ICS/Android 4.0 is a much smoother experience and more user friendly than past Androids so it may be great for 1st timers once the bugs are sorted out.
Coming from an iPhone background, the Nexus phones seem closest to that experience in terms of clean firmware and timeliness of updates. All smartphones have bugs; it's just part of the deal. It's a personal computer in a very small package, so there's no reason it would be any more immune to bugs and glitches than the computer sitting on your desk is. But having to rely on a seemingly disinterested 3rd party manufacturer to provide updates and fixes seems unwise.
I've been using android since donut, and with the nexus comes Imo the biggest overhaul in the android os yet. Galaxy Nexus will be the way to go just because of ice cream sandwich. If you think the other manufacturers are going to upgrade, you will be waiting until your hair has turned gray. You think the wait for the nexus is bad, try the wait for gingerbread for the Thunderbolt for example, ugh!
I almost forgot, nexus phones are developer phones, which means easy to unlock. If you are going to use android, you might as well use it the way it was intended, open and free. The pros from this are if you ever get bored with your phone, if it is unlocked you have a nearly endless list of things you can tinker with and do
I almost forgot, nexus phones are developer phones, which means easy to unlock. If you are going to use android, you might as well use it the way it was intended, open and free. The pros from this are if you ever get bored with your phone, if it is unlocked you have a nearly endless list of things you can tinker with and do
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