Another (soon-to-be) Nexus Expat with ?s about the Rezound

[musicalprogrammer]

Hi all!
It is with more than a little regret that I will likely (75% chance) be returning my Nexus for a Rezound ahead of the Jan 15 deadline. I don't need to delve into the details around why I'm going down this path (as most of the reasons have already been discussed ad nauseum and I don't want to risk turning this thread into a flame war), but suffice it to say the Rezound appears to be more operationally functional at this time and an overall better fit for my needs.

I do have a few questions for Rezound owners; the answers will help either push me the remaining 25% or cause me to step down from the ledge.

1. Capacitive Buttons: One of my favorite things about carrying a smartphone is the ability to converge many of my needs into a single device, including phone, music/movie player, camera, and portable gaming system. Concerning the last item, I love having my entire collection of console games (PSX and prior) in my pocket, and will frequently load one up when I have a bit of free time. I'm wondering how easy it is to accidentally trigger one of the capacitive buttons during gameplay, especially while using one of the popular emulators. I seem to manage fine on the Nexus, but I'm unfamiliar with the sensitivity of the buttons on the Rezound; anyone have personal experience with this?
2. Capacitive Buttons, part deux: As much as I like the entertainment aspects listed in the previous point, I do have an office job to pay my phone and other bills. The Nexus is a professional-looking device that I don't feel ashamed to place on the table in front of me during meetings. However, I feel that the Rezound is garish-looking with the red buttons - is there any way to disable these so that they don't light up during use? (I assume they are unlit when the phone is asleep)
3. Camera: When I tested both the Rezound and Nexus at the store before ultimately walking home with the latter, I was dissatisfied with the color quality of the Rezound pictures - there was a reddish hue to all of the test pictures I snapped inside the store. I understand there likely are settings that will improve this behavior; however, I'm the type of user who would like the device and software to automatically optimize settings according to the circumstances (with 2 young kids, my window of opportunity to snap pictures is very small and fiddling with settings would usually cause that window to close). Any advice around universal settings and/or different software that might help? My phone is my primary camera (see point 1), so this aspect is extremely important to me
4. Protective case: On my Nexus (as well as my previous Droid X), I employ a "jelly" case for improved grip and nominal cushioning against bumps and minor falls. Is there an option for the Rezound that would fit both the normal and extended battery? Otterbox appears to be bulky, but perhaps it has a thinner profile than meets the eye.
5. NFC-readiness: I see NFC as a technology that will really take off in use within the next 12 months. NFC chips on SIM cards are around the corner - anyone know if the Rezound definitively has (or doesn't have) the necessary framework (controller, etc) in place to enable eventual interaction between high-level apps and the NFC chip on the SIM?
6. ICS feature alternatives: There are 3 UI features on the Nexus that I've grown to love: folders on the home screen, switching between recently used apps, and Unlock-to-camera. Any recommended substitutes for these while we wait for ICS on the Rezound?

Thanks for the assistance in advance!

 

[Laramie]

As a former Nexus owner I'll take a stab at your questions

1. The capacitive buttons don't seem any "more" sensitive than the GNex. I have played lots of games on my Rezound (no emulators) and have had no issues with the 4 buttons.

2. All personal preference. I don't find the buttons ugly at all when lit. With screen off or in bright settings, the buttons will not be lit.

3. There is the standard white balance adjustments allowed on the Rezound. It also has an "auto-enhance" feature. My pictures unedited and right from the phone look outstanding with very good color representation.

4. If you plan on switching back and forth between the stock and extended battery, I suggest getting a bumper case that has the rear portion missing to allow for the extended battery hump, or just get the extended silicone from Verizon and cut it yourself (I did, very easy). The otterbox defender from other threads will work with the extended battery if you leave off the rear inner case. There is also the otterbox commuter, but will only fit the standard battery.

5. I don't think the Rezound has the hardware for NFC but I'll let others chime in.

6. I hate sense so I use Go Launcher which allows home screen folders either on the screen or in the bottom dock itself. Switching recent apps is sadly not as smooth as ICS. But in Android 2.3, you simply longpress the home button and your list pops up. On the Rezound lock screen, you're allows 4 different shortcuts. So you can "unlock-to-camera" and others. My 4 are SMS, Phone, Gmail and Camera.

Hope this helps.

 

[jphillips1963]

The Rezound does have NFC in the apps section.

 

[anonymous9458679834576]

Hi all!
It is with more than a little regret that I will likely (75% chance) be returning my Nexus for a Rezound ahead of the Jan 15 deadline. I don't need to delve into the details around why I'm going down this path (as most of the reasons have already been discussed ad nauseum and I don't want to risk turning this thread into a flame war), but suffice it to say the Rezound appears to be more operationally functional at this time and an overall better fit for my needs.

I do have a few questions for Rezound owners; the answers will help either push me the remaining 25% or cause me to step down from the ledge.

1. Capacitive Buttons: One of my favorite things about carrying a smartphone is the ability to converge many of my needs into a single device, including phone, music/movie player, camera, and portable gaming system. Concerning the last item, I love having my entire collection of console games (PSX and prior) in my pocket, and will frequently load one up when I have a bit of free time. I'm wondering how easy it is to accidentally trigger one of the capacitive buttons during gameplay, especially while using one of the popular emulators. I seem to manage fine on the Nexus, but I'm unfamiliar with the sensitivity of the buttons on the Rezound; anyone have personal experience with this?
2. Capacitive Buttons, part deux: As much as I like the entertainment aspects listed in the previous point, I do have an office job to pay my phone and other bills. The Nexus is a professional-looking device that I don't feel ashamed to place on the table in front of me during meetings. However, I feel that the Rezound is garish-looking with the red buttons - is there any way to disable these so that they don't light up during use? (I assume they are unlit when the phone is asleep)
3. Camera: When I tested both the Rezound and Nexus at the store before ultimately walking home with the latter, I was dissatisfied with the color quality of the Rezound pictures - there was a reddish hue to all of the test pictures I snapped inside the store. I understand there likely are settings that will improve this behavior; however, I'm the type of user who would like the device and software to automatically optimize settings according to the circumstances (with 2 young kids, my window of opportunity to snap pictures is very small and fiddling with settings would usually cause that window to close). Any advice around universal settings and/or different software that might help? My phone is my primary camera (see point 1), so this aspect is extremely important to me
4. Protective case: On my Nexus (as well as my previous Droid X), I employ a "jelly" case for improved grip and nominal cushioning against bumps and minor falls. Is there an option for the Rezound that would fit both the normal and extended battery? Otterbox appears to be bulky, but perhaps it has a thinner profile than meets the eye.
5. NFC-readiness: I see NFC as a technology that will really take off in use within the next 12 months. NFC chips on SIM cards are around the corner - anyone know if the Rezound definitively has (or doesn't have) the necessary framework (controller, etc) in place to enable eventual interaction between high-level apps and the NFC chip on the SIM?
6. ICS feature alternatives: There are 3 UI features on the Nexus that I've grown to love: folders on the home screen, switching between recently used apps, and Unlock-to-camera. Any recommended substitutes for these while we wait for ICS on the Rezound?

Thanks for the assistance in advance!

Yup I'm in the exact same boat! Shocking how many of us there are. I like ICS but I hate Samsung hardware and no amount of cutting edge software makes the next 20 months with it tolerable. The Rezound will be my choice as well

 

[Droid800]

The Rezound does have NFC in the apps section.

It doesn't have the hardware though.

 

[tiberius72]

I skipped the Nexus - due to all the issues everyone was having. I got a Rezound and I am fairly happy...

 

[Dovahkiin]

[*]Protective case: On my Nexus (as well as my previous Droid X), I employ a "jelly" case for improved grip and nominal cushioning against bumps and minor falls. Is there an option for the Rezound that would fit both the normal and extended battery? Otterbox appears to be bulky, but perhaps it has a thinner profile than meets the eye.

I have an Otterbox Commuter. I love it. The best way I can describe the thickness to you is by assuming you had an original Droid (without case).
Remember how thick it was? The Rezound with an Otterbox is a teenie, eenie, meenie, small sliver thicker than that.
And if you had a case on your Droid, then the Rezound w/Otterbox is thinner than that.

 

[isdaako]

I feel that the Rezound is garish-looking with the red buttons

Wow!

 

[BiggestHorse]

4) VZW store sold belt case for extended battery fits both batteries and does OK in pocket without the face cover/belt clip. Not gel, but looks professional. My colleagues called my phone 'a beast' - hurt her feelings. So I mostly use std batt. Surprise - it lasts me all day!

 

[musicalprogrammer]

Thanks all for the responses - lots of great information. At this point, my only remaining hesitation is giving up NFC, but that will hopefully be a worthwhile price to pay. Speaking of price, the $100 reduction also makes taking the plunge more palatable, assuming I can take advantage of it despite purchasing my Nexus from a bricks-and-mortar Verizon store.

Another benefit to the Rezound I recently learned of while browsing this and other forums is the potential ability to register the device on another carrier's network by installing an applicable/local SIM card; with a few int'l business trips coming up this year, that will come in handy as a fringe benefit.

All in all, I'd say I'm about 95% certain now.

 

[JeffDenver]

I would have liked NFC hardware as well, but I doubt I would have actually used it. It wont be commonplace until it matures and that will not happen for at least one or two more product cycles IMO.

 

[musicalprogrammer]

There are stores that I regularly shop at where I can use Google Wallet, but I agree that it's still in an early adoption phase. Bottom line is that it brings a coolness factor but doesn't add much in the way of convenience, as I still have to carry my wallet for my driver's license, insurance cards, etc.

 

[JeffDenver]

Is it true that NFC can potentially be added as part of the SIM card? (Not being sarcastic...I really dont know, but I heard that somewhere on here).

 

[SpaceHippie]

If i read correct, i think NFC can be added as a sticker too be placed on the battery. I had it on my Nexus. NFC is nice and all, but i never used it.

 

[musicalprogrammer]

Is it true that NFC can potentially be added as part of the SIM card? (Not being sarcastic...I really dont know, but I heard that somewhere on here).

Yes, there was an announcement back in November stating 40+ telecos (including Verizon) have pledged to support the SIM-based NFC standard, which is being led by a company named Inside Secure.

My question was around whether the Rezound has the hardware connection framework (in the form of a controller or bridge) that would allow top-to-bottom interaction between the device application layer and the chip. Sounds like it doesn't, so SIM-based NFC on the Rezound would likely be limited to embedded interactions. Although someone previously replied to this thread stating that NFC appears in the apps section, which is kind of strange if it's not supported in the hardware.

 

[tehsquishmeister]

Just like to add:

Change the camera setting to incandescent if you're shooting inside. The auto-white balance seems to have a yellow hue to anything taken inside (at least on mine). After I changed that shots taken inside look great.

 

[musicalprogrammer]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I'll likely be pulling the trigger on the exchange tomorrow.

2 last questions for folks who have had the privilege of owning both the Rezound and Nexus:

1. Video Camera: I've read a lot about the comparison of cameras as far as photos/stills but I'm curious if the Rezound video camera is also equal or better in quality than the Nexus; any thoughts?
2. Screen size: I love the dimensions of the Nexus, particularly the width, when it comes to watching videos. I know the Rezound features the same resolution, albeit crammed into a smaller form factor. Is the difference noticeable (and regrettable), or is it something that is quickly forgotten?

 

[humpagardengnome]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I'll likely be pulling the trigger on the exchange tomorrow.

2 last questions for folks who have had the privilege of owning both the Rezound and Nexus:

1. Video Camera: I've read a lot about the comparison of cameras as far as photos/stills but I'm curious if the Rezound video camera is also equal or better in quality than the Nexus; any thoughts?
2. Screen size: I love the dimensions of the Nexus, particularly the width, when it comes to watching videos. I know the Rezound features the same resolution, albeit crammed into a smaller form factor. Is the difference noticeable (and regrettable), or is it something that is quickly forgotten?

1. Did some vid comps. w/ my bro and his GN, just to personally compare them. All videos shot on the Rezound was smoother in the playback. Neither was all that great while on the move shooting fast moving targets. GN was terribly choppy while stationary, just filming some flag football on turkey day. GN was good on stationary objects but the Rezound was a better performer overall. Certainly, the GN is a more capable shooter than filmer, though.

2. I was envious of the width of video playback on the GN. I wish the Rezound wasn't so narrow in that regard. It really was one of the reasons I looked forward to about the GN, before the issues started surfacing and I went w/ the Rezound instead. I'll definitely look forward to getting a wider screen on my next device. It doesn't seem like a big difference until I saw it in action, but to me, it seemed very noticeable.

 

[experiment 626]

Add one more GN-EX member to the Club. Exchanged my GN last Saturday and this week got an additional $50. credit to my bill after the Rezound's price was lowered to $199. All that and I got a device with better hardware to boot.

 

[Postoid]

I have an Otterbox Commuter. I love it. The best way I can describe the thickness to you is by assuming you had an original Droid (without case).
Remember how thick it was? The Rezound with an Otterbox is a teenie, eenie, meenie, small sliver thicker than that.
And if you had a case on your Droid, then the Rezound w/Otterbox is thinner than that.

OP: I have the Otterbox Defender and for me it works great. It does add just a smidge'n of 'bulk' but really still fits nice in the hand and secure on the belt clip which I prefer. Raised pwr button and volume button helps a lot and so does the screen protector even though it's plastic I don't have a problem swype'n on it or viewing photos on the stellar screen. my 2?...