Should I get the Razr or the Galaxy Nexus?

[CarryMe]

Hi - I have to pick a phone soon (before Christmas) and am deciding between the Razr (R) and the Galaxy Nexus (GN). I am making a table up with a comparison between the 2 to help me decide.

My eyesight is not that good so the quality of the screen is important to me. I've looked at both in the store and didn't really detect a difference but I know that once you get the devices outside or under different lighting conditions, that can change.

I don't really care about the ice cream sandwich since Motorola will be updating the R to have it soon. Or will it not be soon?

So far my research can be summarized as follows:

R - metal case, removable microSD card, expandable to 32GB microSD card, lighter and smaller, 8Mp camera but there is shutter lag, gorilla glass, battery not removable, gingerbread OS but will be updated soon, better voice quality and reception (according to PCMag review)

GN - higher resolution screen, no removable microSD card, storage not expandable, 5Mp camera but no shutter lag, higher mAh removable battery, ice cream sandwich OS, some sort of volume issue but supposedly there is a software fix?


Did I get the comparison right? Are there other factors you would consider when making the choice?

Thanks in advance for your help!!!!

 

[dhendriksen]

I would get the RAZR. The only thing that makes the Samsung unique is the operating system, and it doesn't even really have any increased functionality.

The operating system on the RAZR will be updated to Ice Cream Sandwich.

For me it's a no brainer. Get the RAZR. It's far superior hardware, better radio, etc...

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

 

[lokey]

I had the Razr for three weeks coming from a Dinc. Only got the Razr to hold out till the Nexus release. Got the GN on the 15TH.
RAZR: Awesome battery life compared to the dinc.
Beautiful screen
Fast
Acceptable size-formfactor
Great speaker

GN: battery life is as bad as the dinc. Deal breaker. Unacceptable. This fon is going back.
Screen is ok. Meh
Fast
Like the form factor better than the Razr. The rounded corners fit the hand for me.
Speaker is good. Having trouble hearing the navigation Volume while driving. Seems the sound on the razr is better.
Bluf; if this GN isnt better by noon monday its a refurb. Samsung better consult with motorola on battery life. Fail.

 

[CarryMe]

I would get the RAZR. The only thing that makes the Samsung unique is the operating system, and it doesn't even really have any increased functionality.

The operating system on the RAZR will be updated to Ice Cream Sandwich.

For me it's a no brainer. Get the RAZR. It's far superior hardware, better radio, etc...

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

On another thread someone indicated the possibility that Motorola may only update the RAZR OS to ICS and not to jelly bean (which I think is the name of the next Android 5 OS in the works). It seemed like this was based on past behavior of Motorola and also just the general point that by the time jelly bean rolls out, the RAZR won't be the latest Motorola phone.

What about the hardware is far superior? The metal case, the expandable microSD card, better reception, anything else?

 

[CarryMe]

GN: battery life is as bad as the dinc. Deal breaker. Unacceptable. This fon is going back.

Thanks, I thought the battery on the GN was supposed to be better since it has more mAh, but I guess there is more to it than just mAh.

 

[CarryMe]

RAZR: Beautiful screen

GN: Screen is ok. Meh

I thought the screen on the GN was supposed to be better, higher resolution? What don't you like about the GN screen? That is an important feature for me. Thanks.

 

[Deron Baker]

Thanks, I thought the battery on the GN was supposed to be better since it has more mAh, but I guess there is more to it than just mAh.

Oh yeah. A lot of it depends on the way the operating system utilizes resources. And a lot depends on the user.

Keep in mind that the Nexus phone just came out. So people tend to use it more and play with the settings, draining battery more than would otherwise happen under normal usage. A lot of people were complaining about the Razr's battery life when it was first released. And now people love the Razr's battery life.

People build up expectations waiting for these phones to be released and often are not objective when reporting their experiences the first few days. Just look at the older posts in this and other RAZR forums about how new Razr users were just "renting" their razr until the Galaxy Nexus came out. Now the RAZR is king of all Android phones

Here's a post about battery life on the RAZR that you'll find educational. It should help give you a good perspective on what to expect from RAZR, battery wise.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?p=1450996


Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

 

[androidatic]

If you're looking for a developer phone with the latest Android OS then go with the Nexus. If you're looking for a better build quality and better reception then go with the Razr. I have the Razr because first and foremost I need a phone that I can count on to always receive calls and text messages.

I think the screens are similar visually and the cameras on are par with each other. Ask any videophile about resolution and screen size and they'll tell you that the smaller the screen the less discernible small differences in resolution really are.

As for the battery, I get 12+ hours with moderate use and can easily get 24 if I absolutely must.

Do yourself a favor, go to Verizon and compare the phones side-by-side.

 

[CarryMe]

If you're looking for a better build quality and better reception then go with the Razr. I have the Razr because first and foremost I need a phone that I can count on to always receive calls and text messages.

Do yourself a favor, go to Verizon and compare the phones side-by-side.

I did compare them side-by-side but you can't get a feel for reception in the store. I have been reading more here and it seems like the reception is an issue with the GN.

I really wanted to make a decision but it seems like the more I learn, the harder the decision. The reception issue if it is not fixable would be a deal breaker for me.

 

[CarryMe]

Here's a post about battery life on the RAZR that you'll find educational. It should help give you a good perspective on what to expect from RAZR, battery wise.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?p=1450996

Thanks for the link!

 

[paul-c]

If you're looking for a phone with really good reception you can't go wrong with Motorola.

 

[CarryMe]

If you're looking for a phone with really good reception you can't go wrong with Motorola.

A phone is useless without good reception, so you betcha I want good reception. It seems like the reception issue with the GN is causing the phone to switch from 3G to 4G, not sure how that works but it is draining the battery faster.

 

[androidatic]

A phone is useless without good reception, so you betcha I want good reception. It seems like the reception issue with the GN is causing the phone to switch from 3G to 4G, not sure how that works but it is draining the battery faster.

Not only that, I'm talking about voice signal..

 

[lokey]

I thought the screen on the GN was supposed to be better, higher resolution? What don't you like about the GN screen? That is an important feature for me. Thanks.

The screen on the GN is nice. I dont discern much of a diff between the two phones tho, YMMV The GN glass shows smudges more. Both are much better than the dinc. Very good visibility in sunlight.
The battery is the sticking point. Ive used both phones the same. Medium usage all day. Screen brightness on low. 4G/bt/wifi/gps turned off. New out of the box the Razr was good and the battery got slightly better. The GN hasnt improved but I'll give it a bit longer to be fair. I need a battery that lasts all day at work. So far rhe razer does....... GN not.

 

[Zorro1]

I think this is a fairly simple choice. Do you want to geek the phone? By that I mean root and do all the stuff that I have no idea what it even means? If so, get the GN. If you want a fantastic phone that just works awesome and has two way cool add-ins, MotoCast so that you can access files from you pc anytime it's on, and Smart Actions which allow you to customize behaviors for different locations and timeframes. For me, the Razr was the ONLY logical choice, but I didn't even know that until I got it and then the GN was released. So many people focus on useless trivial stuff that does not matter in the end, and miss the overall important stuff.

 

[ninjataint]

I personally chose the GN but it's not something someone else can choose for you.

I did not like the feel of the Razr in my hand and I wanted something substantially different than my bionic.

Just keep in mind that motos ICS build will not look stock. Also, my GN's reception is on par with my previous three motos.

Go fondle both and see what feels better.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[CarryMe]

By that I mean root and do all the stuff that I have no idea what it even means?

I understand what you are saying.

I have been reading here for a bit and I would invest time in doing that if I got a significant performance advantage, but it would take some work educating myself to even know if it would be worth it to me or not.

 

[CarryMe]

MotoCast

thanks for letting me know about that, it seems like a valuable app.

 

[cubus]

I thought the screen on the GN was supposed to be better, higher resolution? What don't you like about the GN screen? That is an important feature for me. Thanks.

I'd agree that Razr screen is nicer: brighter and appeared to have higher contrast ratio. I can't tell the resolution difference unless I was inches (like 2 inches) away from my face.

 

[whiteshadow001]

I'd agree that Razr screen is nicer: brighter and appeared to have higher contrast ratio. I can't tell the resolution difference unless I was inches (like 2 inches) away from my face.

The nexus screen is definitely better on the nexus. That's one of the reasons I chose the nexus.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk