Is the GN right for me?

[tx_tuff]

I am coming from a BB Storm 2 and have wanted the GN from the time I read about it. The RAZR also peaked my intrest (I really like the way it looks), but the Motoblur and bloatware turn me off. The vanilla android sounds like the way to go and ICS looks great as far as I can tell. But I have never owned a android device before so I am going by pretty much what I read in the forums.

The reason I ask is the GN right for me is because I have been reading that "the Nexus is for tech geeks" and "RAZR is a media phone". I'm not really much of a tech geek but I do like the "latest and greatest" thing out there, but at the same time I also have no problem keeping a phone for 2 years no matter what else comes out after it. And if for some reason I end up getting the RAZR I have no plans on rooting it.

My two main wants in a phone are 4G LTE and a nice screen. I have a unlimited data plan and plan on using Netflix a lot, Pandora some (but will probaly use stored music more), use it to take pictures and video (just from what I have seen in hands on videos and pictures I think the 5MP on the GN is better then the 8MP on the RAZR), and a few fun apps. I'm not that big into games but I'm sure I will have a few. Will prob use GPS a lot also but from what I understand Samsung has fixed this issue so that doesn't scare me.

Does anybody see any reason why the RAZR would be a better phone for a newby like myself? Or should I go with my heart and get the GN like I want?

Thanks guys and girls.

 

[Drosul]

In the end you are the only one who can answer that question....... You have to see how the screen looks, how the phone feels in your hands. You also have to compare the two phones and see how they are different. For example that the Razr will not have a removable battery, but will have a removable SD card slot.


Now as far as the OS goes. Honestly, despite the claims of "bloat" you probably won't notice a difference being an Android novice.... What you will notice is that there are some features in Blur that kinda nice to have, that aren't present in a stock android OS. That said, being an Android novice, you honestly won't even know you are missing them... Some of those features can be had via market apps anyhow (like zumocast). Finally you will notice that the nexus will get updates months before the razr, simply because it's getting vanilla android.


Personally, for me, the decision was made a long time ago. This phone simply has every feature I could ever hope to ask for, with the sole exception of a SD-Card slot. And even that little inconvenience has been shown to not be such a horrible thing since this phone can use an adapter chord and run a real usb flash drive hooked up to it, something I wasn't even aware to be possible until coming here.

My biggest worries now involves whether VZW will have 32gb models in stock, and whether I am destined to have early adopter bugs on my unit since I am buying this thing within 5 minutes of the store opening, the very first day they go on sale.

 

[humpagardengnome]

... Finally you will notice that the nexus will get updates months before the razr, simply because it's getting vanilla android...

It should also be noted that updates from Google are likely to actually correct bugs & improve your phone. Whereas, OTA updates from Moto are a mixed bag. They'll likely correct some bugs but it's not uncommon to be left w/ new ones in their place.

... My biggest worries now involves whether VZW will have 32gb models in stock, and whether I am destined to have early adopter bugs on my unit since I am buying this thing within 5 minutes of the store opening, the very first day they go on sale.

Why'd you have to bring that up. Oh great, now we're officially jinxed, I know hold you solely responsible for any bugs I encounter w/ my new SGN.

 

[jdbower]

Wait until they're in the stores, handle both, and see which you like better. Another important thing may be to verify that the GN supports HDMI, I've yet to see an official spec that says it does but there's speculation it will via a USB adapter - if that's important to you the RAZR may be a better phone. The GN will get software updates sooner than most phones, but that just means GN users need to upgrade more frequently and test out the bugs first. If you're OK with that, there's nothing wrong with the GN but I wouldn't recommend it to someone who doesn't like to play with their tech.

As for bloatware, as mentioned above bloatware is just a few extra icons in the app drawer. Stock Android has bloatware as well, I don't use the stock keyboard, I find dock mode irritating, there are tons of features I don't use nor want in my phone but they can't be removed. Verizon just adds additional stuff on top of that like a handful of games and some useful things like the data usage widget. The RAZR has already been rooted so once you're comfortable with the idea behind root (namely, it voids your warranty) bloatware is easy to remove.

And Blur has steadily improved. I've seen a lot of people decry the evils of Blur, switch to something Blur-less like CM7/MIUI, and then wish they had some Blur features back. Blur seems to be the most lightweight of the manufacturer skins and I prefer it vastly over Sense or TouchWiz. It got a bad name in the early low end phones where it tried to be very tightly integrated into social media. Problem is that it was clunky, and because they were low end phones it killed the CPU and battery and they never updated it. Blur on the DX is perfectly fine and has only gotten better from Eclair to Froyo to GB. Also remember that if the Google/Moto deal comes through it's likely that future updates will involve less Blur rather than more. And quite likely some good parts of Blur will find its way into the core codebase (gasp!).

Really it comes down to your preference. I'd recommend a RAZR for my wife but I prefer the GN.

 

[CynicX]

You'll be a constant beta tester and guinea pig. You'll also be the first to experience updates and Google is good at adding new features.

Basically you get the greatest and latest Android at the expense of finding bugs in it. And regardless of what people say on here Google is not quick to fix bugs. I've seen bugs over looked on Honeycomb updates for 6 months.

 

[CynicX]

Wait until they're in the stores, handle both, and see which you like better. Another important thing may be to verify that the GN supports HDMI, I've yet to see an official spec that says it does but there's speculation it will via a USB adapter - if that's important to you the RAZR may be a better phone. The GN will get software updates sooner than most phones, but that just means GN users need to upgrade more frequently and test out the bugs first. If you're OK with that, there's nothing wrong with the GN but I wouldn't recommend it to someone who doesn't like to play with their tech.

As for bloatware, as mentioned above bloatware is just a few extra icons in the app drawer. Stock Android has bloatware as well, I don't use the stock keyboard, I find dock mode irritating, there are tons of features I don't use nor want in my phone but they can't be removed. Verizon just adds additional stuff on top of that like a handful of games and some useful things like the data usage widget. The RAZR has already been rooted so once you're comfortable with the idea behind root (namely, it voids your warranty) bloatware is easy to remove.

And Blur has steadily improved. I've seen a lot of people decry the evils of Blur, switch to something Blur-less like CM7/MIUI, and then wish they had some Blur features back. Blur seems to be the most lightweight of the manufacturer skins and I prefer it vastly over Sense or TouchWiz. It got a bad name in the early low end phones where it tried to be very tightly integrated into social media. Problem is that it was clunky, and because they were low end phones it killed the CPU and battery and they never updated it. Blur on the DX is perfectly fine and has only gotten better from Eclair to Froyo to GB. Also remember that if the Google/Moto deal comes through it's likely that future updates will involve less Blur rather than more. And quite likely some good parts of Blur will find its way into the core codebase (gasp!).

Really it comes down to your preference. I'd recommend a RAZR for my wife but I prefer the GN.

The GN has HDMI out via MHL. The USB doubles as an HDMI port....I'm pretty sure it was mentioned in the demo.

 

[jdbower]

The GN has HDMI out via MHL. The USB doubles as an HDMI port....I'm pretty sure it was mentioned in the demo.

That would be nice, the signal to noise ratio here is as bad as the early DX forum days (ZOMG, eFuse! We'll never get root!) so it's hard to know what's official. I can't wait to see this thing in person!

 

[digitalslacker]

You'll be a constant beta tester and guinea pig. You'll also be the first to experience updates and Google is good at adding new features.

Basically you get the greatest and latest Android at the expense of finding bugs in it. And regardless of what people say on here Google is not quick to fix bugs. I've seen bugs over looked on Honeycomb updates for 6 months.

I'm not sure I completely agree with respect to the bugs. These forums are filled with issues that arise on every phone post update, even minor OTAs. That's the risk you run with software, one change can break something else. How many times has the Thunderbolt's Gingerbread update been pulled? 3?

I think that things like blur/wiz/sense will cause you way more issues when you get that OTA than it will on a Nexus phone. When building these updates Moto/HTC/Sammy not only have to contend with getting Android to work on their hardware correctly, they add in to the equation their custom stuff. More code = more potential problems.

While there maybe "bugs" that Google hasn't fixed if they are critical ones Google will get a patch out much quicker than Moto or even HTC. The other less critical bugs get pushed off to the larger incremental updates and again, that's every manufacture of ANY software. It's not unique to Android phones or Google.

So, to the OPs question about the GN being right, I second what many have said that you really need to try both and pick the phone you prefer. I don't think you need to worry about the GN getting an over abundances of messed up OTAs but like with all phones, it's possible to see a few.

I went with my Nexus S because it's a clean Pure Google experience. There are some applications that come stock on say, Moto phones that aren't part of stock Android and many of those features are damn good. My logic is that I can just go to the market and get the programs I need and not have a phone cluttered up with stuff that might be cool, but I'll never use.

But try them both, see what you prefer, buy that, and be happy with it. They are all good phones and Android is about having the choice.

 

[CynicX]

I'm not sure I completely agree with respect to the bugs. These forums are filled with issues that arise on every phone post update, even minor OTAs. That's the risk you run with software, one change can break something else. How many times has the Thunderbolt's Gingerbread update been pulled? 3?

I think that things like blur/wiz/sense will cause you way more issues when you get that OTA than it will on a Nexus phone. When building these updates Moto/HTC/Sammy not only have to contend with getting Android to work on their hardware correctly, they add in to the equation their custom stuff. More code = more potential problems.

While there maybe "bugs" that Google hasn't fixed if they are critical ones Google will get a patch out much quicker than Moto or even HTC. The other less critical bugs get pushed off to the larger incremental updates and again, that's every manufacture of ANY software. It's not unique to Android phones or Google.

So, to the OPs question about the GN being right, I second what many have said that you really need to try both and pick the phone you prefer. I don't think you need to worry about the GN getting an over abundances of messed up OTAs but like with all phones, it's possible to see a few.

I went with my Nexus S because it's a clean Pure Google experience. There are some applications that come stock on say, Moto phones that aren't part of stock Android and many of those features are damn good. My logic is that I can just go to the market and get the programs I need and not have a phone cluttered up with stuff that might be cool, but I'll never use.

But try them both, see what you prefer, buy that, and be happy with it. They are all good phones and Android is about having the choice.

Google has been anything but quick to fix bugs in honeycomb. Manufacture UI has fixed it. Us using the Nexus of tablets have had to deal with them.

Its not uncommon with an app to conflict with releases of Android and Google will not budge. If Google releases an update that affects 20,000 apps well the devs of those apps better fix them or else they won't work. Google will not pull an update and there is 2 months before you see another...

Read this thread. Watch it go from hey an update to oh no everything is fc'ing.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/motorola-xoom/129178-vzw-xoom-3g-updated-3-2-1-a.html

This won't be fixed until the Xoom gets ICS.....so 6 months?

This is what developer devices are becoming. It there purpose. And for the most part its great but sometimes there are annoyances that make the device near inop and require dev help to find and fix the issue.

 

[PJnc284]

Honeycomb was a crapshoot. Think google pushed it as more of a stop gap because the manufacturers were releasing tablets with a phone OS.

 

[CynicX]

Honeycomb was a crapshoot. Think google pushed it as more of a stop gap because the manufacturers were releasing tablets with a phone OS.

Please don't say that! Lol ICS is based off that crap shoot. And that crap shoot is at least 10x better then GB IMO. Which is the main reason I'm going with the GN. Look at the sdk, its honeycomb w/ phone software. While it has some cool improvements they are just feature improvements.

My hope is that all the focus will be on ICS so bugs will be found and fixed a little faster. I think its unlikely judging by GB but I can hope.

 

[hyperdude]

Please don't say that! Lol ICS is based off that crap shoot. And that crap shoot is at least 10x better then GB IMO. Which is the main reason I'm going with the GN. Look at the sdk, its honeycomb w/ phone software. While it has some cool improvements they are just feature improvements.

My hope is that all the focus will be on ICS so bugs will be found and fixed a little faster. I think its unlikely judging by GB but I can hope.

Matias Duarte himself said that they pushed HC out the door to provide an actual tablet OS instead of having Froyo and Gingerbread on those devices. ICS brings that line back into mainline Android (mainly by merging the UI changes and underlying code fixes).

 

[digitalslacker]

Google has been anything but quick to fix bugs in honeycomb. Manufacture UI has fixed it. Us using the Nexus of tablets have had to deal with them.

Its not uncommon with an app to conflict with releases of Android and Google will not budge. If Google releases an update that affects 20,000 apps well the devs of those apps better fix them or else they won't work. Google will not pull an update and there is 2 months before you see another...

Read this thread. Watch it go from hey an update to oh no everything is fc'ing.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/motorola-xoom/129178-vzw-xoom-3g-updated-3-2-1-a.html

This won't be fixed until the Xoom gets ICS.....so 6 months?

This is what developer devices are becoming. It there purpose. And for the most part its great but sometimes there are annoyances that make the device near inop and require dev help to find and fix the issue.

I should have clarified, while you are right when it comes to Honeycomb, I'm not sure those concerns translate to ICS as a phone OS. Maybe some do, but it's not 3.x it's 4.x so it's not the same OS. I compare it to saying Windows 7 has issues because Vista did...

As others have said, Honeycomb was released way too early and only done so so that Android had SOMETHING in the tablet space. I think these problems are a product of that decision .

I don't really consider the XOOM or the OG droid developer devices...but i guess that's debatable.

I'm not saying Google has a perfect track record, I just saying you're as much (or maybe less) at risk of having issues with a Nexus phone as you are with any other manufacture, include Apple for that matter. I know the last two of their releases have had either battery or antenna issues. And unless you got a Verizon iPhone 4 or a bumper, those antenna issues still exist. You take a gamble whenever you buy any device, phone or otherwise, that it might not work as well as it probably should.

 

[tx_tuff]

Well at least I got a good debate going LOL. Thanks everybody for your responses! I'm still thinking the GN is the phone for me so that's good. I'm not concerned with no SD slot, as long as it has 32G which I'm sure Verizon will have. And seems like the bugs are going to come and go no matter what. Thanks guys.

 

[philly]

I should have clarified, while you are right when it comes to Honeycomb, I'm not sure those concerns translate to ICS as a phone OS. Maybe some do, but it's not 3.x it's 4.x so it's not the same OS. I compare it to saying Windows 7 has issues because Vista did...

As others have said, Honeycomb was released way too early and only done so so that Android had SOMETHING in the tablet space. I think these problems are a product of that decision .

I don't really consider the XOOM or the OG droid developer devices...but i guess that's debatable.

I'm not saying Google has a perfect track record, I just saying you're as much (or maybe less) at risk of having issues with a Nexus phone as you are with any other manufacture, include Apple for that matter. I know the last two of their releases have had either battery or antenna issues. And unless you got a Verizon iPhone 4 or a bumper, those antenna issues still exist. You take a gamble whenever you buy any device, phone or otherwise, that it might not work as well as it probably should.

isnt windows 7 just a modified version of vista?

seems like a bigger gap would be xp-vista, or windows 98-xp.

and lets face it people.. quite obviously people with 4.0 are going to run into more issues.. cynic was exactly right.. the phone is for the people who want to have the latest OS.. but just like anything thats brand new.. you are essentially a tester.

how long has it taken every other version to work out its kinks?

this phone isnt for people whos top priorities are a solid working phone. its essentially the must-have "nerdvice"

 

[CynicX]

That's why I want it! Bugs or not I LOVE Honeycomb so a phone os that resembles it on many level will be awesome!

 

[digitalslacker]

Well at least I got a good debate going LOL. Thanks everybody for your responses! I'm still thinking the GN is the phone for me so that's good. I'm not concerned with no SD slot, as long as it has 32G which I'm sure Verizon will have. And seems like the bugs are going to come and go no matter what. Thanks guys.

I'm just happy to have a constructive conversation for a change. Lately this forum has had a serious lack of those.

isnt windows 7 just a modified version of vista?

seems like a bigger gap would be xp-vista, or windows 98-xp.

and lets face it people.. quite obviously people with 4.0 are going to run into more issues.. cynic was exactly right.. the phone is for the people who want to have the latest OS.. but just like anything thats brand new.. you are essentially a tester.

how long has it taken every other version to work out its kinks?

this phone isnt for people whos top priorities are a solid working phone. its essentially the must-have "nerdvice"

I used the Vista/Windows 7 comparison not because of the versions but because Vista was rushed out too, like Honeycomb and Windows 7 like ICS is what Microsoft wanted to do in the first place. It was a much more refined OS with far less issues.

4.0 is a new OS, you'll have issues, I'm not denying that. My point is that it'll be less buggy and the problems will be fixed faster than the first Blur/Sense/Wiz version of ICS is when those comes out.

I've owned and supported many Android phones. I won't get into the ones I have had to deal with for the day job but if it's on VZW, I've probably had to support it.

I will list the ones we've had in the house and used daily; OG Droid, Droid Eris, Droid X, Droid Thunderbolt, Droid Incredible, Droid Incredible 2, Nexus S 4G.

Of those devices, the Nexus S has given me the least amount of issues and the only difference is that it doesn't have a Sense or Blur. The most stable of all those phones that wasn't the Nexus S was the OG Droid which also, doesn't have Sense or Blur.

If the carriers felt that the support requirements of a Nexus phone were that much greater than other phones, they wouldn't carry them.

 

[richardpandy]

IMHO - if you are looking into android, I would say this is the phone to really check out. I have been with Google and their Android since the launch of the OG Droid on Verizon. There have been tons of problems over the years but I have stuck it out because I knew something great would be in the works, even though its taking MUCH longer then I anticipated, but I think Ice Cream Sandwich is it. It looks (as iSheep say) very polished compared to the other versions they have released, Froyo, Eclair, ect. I can't really comment too much about Gingerbread though since my damn Droid Charge never got it and there is only unofficial leaks for it but quite a few of my friends with phones that got GB still have issues. The GN looks looks so fluid, responsive, crisp and ready to work. Give it a shot and let us know.

 

[davey11]

I can't really comment too much about Gingerbread though since my damn Droid Charge never got it and there is only unofficial leaks for it but quite a few of my friends with phones that got GB still have issues.

Yeah tried all the GB leaks on my charge and just didn't see all the hoopla about it. Some folks say its just so wonderful blah blah....me...went back to froyo and I'm fine. But this phone with ICS out of the box has me excited. Just my opinion but it seems whatever comes on a phone out of the box is the best. Upgrades just don't seem to have that polish or refinement.

 

[philly]

I'd be excited for ICS if samsung didnt make such horrible handsets.