[Q] Thinling of getting galaxy s2 - Galaxy S II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi I am thinking of getting the gs2 to replace my lg g2x which is a kick ass phone but I am bored with it so I want something new. I was going to get the s1 but right before I changed phones the g2x came out and the specs were great. I dont regret it but I still want a Samsung. I just have a few questions first.
Overall how do you guys like your phone? A 5 year old can hack and root the g2x is this phone the same? If not how hard is it to root? What are the chances that this phone will get ICS? And how long do you think you will have to wait? And finally would it be better to wait for the galaxy nexus to come out? Is the galaxy nexus really going to be that much better than this phone? Also have any of you heard if the galaxy nexus is going to be available for TMO. I asked a rep today who said she did not know. But we all know asking the customer service over the phone is like asking my grandfather who hardly knows what a phone is. Any help you guys can be is greatly appreciated. Thanks alot
Charlie

Well it's a definite update from G2X. But if I were you I'd wait a little bit more and get the Nexus Prime. You are already 5 months late to get a GSII, now when you've waited this long why not few more days.

The SGS2 is a great phone and I don't think the galaxy nexus is going to be much better. BUT, I personally would go with the galaxy nexus since it bring the android experience ( I mean no touchwiz) and ICS. Anyway rooting SGS2 is a piece of cake, as is flashing ROMs and stuff so you could easily get CM7 running and get rid of the touchwiz interface.

So the galaxy nexus is coming to tmobile? If it is I am definitly going with it. Like I said a rep over the phone said thy did not know yet. But this close to launch I would tink they would know but thats just my opinion. Thats the other thing I wanted to ask about touchwiz. Is it ok or does it suck. The g2x is vannilla android and thats the way I perfer it. I actually dont really use cm7 not saying it sucks but I didnt even install cm 7 until the recent final relese of 7.1 came out. However I love Eagles blolod based off CM 7 that is by far the best most stable rom I have used to date. Anyway thanks for all your help guys.

How hard is the Galaxy S2 to root? Super easy.
How are the chances for it to get ICS? 100%
How long will it take? Hard to tell, as it depends on when google releases the sources. (Samsung release will have TouchWiz)
Is TouchWiz bad or good? It's not that bad, but I find both, MIUI and CyanogenMod, better. But that is just my opinion.
Is it better to wait for the Galaxy Nexus? Well I had the chance to give away my Galaxy S2 and get a Galaxy Nexus once it comes out, but I didn't. I must admit that the screen is damn impressive, but no micro-SD-slot is an absolute no-go for me.
Will the Galaxy Nexus be much better than the Galaxy S2? Define better. For watching movies? Yes. For playing games? I highly doubt that, as it got a weaker GPU and has a much higher resolution. Both factors have a negative impact on the performance. However, keep in mind that the Galaxy Nexus will set the standard for this "generation" of Android phones, so it doesn't really matter which one you get. Both are amazing.
I hope this helps you with your decision.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

wow I must have missed that no microsd card slot? I have not had a phone that didnt have one for over 10 years at this point. No SD card slot what? How much on board storage does it have Afew gigs? I mean I have a 16 gig in now and it is almost maxed out and easily could be I have to cut down on what I carry. I need 32 gigs I guess that they are pushing their google music cloud storage and google docs and such. Oh well thanks for the heads up.

As far as I know there are two versions. One with 16 and one with 32 gigabytes. For me 16 aren't enough and 32 too expensive. Besides that, I don't know if I might need even more in future. Therefore lacking the possibility to upgrade if it becomes necessary is a no-go for me. The screen is the only real argument that speaks for the Nexus. I can wait for ICS...
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

Yes it has no sd card slot. I believe it comes in 16/32gb, can't remember. Well if you really want an HD screen you could wait till the sgs 2 HD LTE comes out for south korea and have it shipped down here. If not, the sgs 2 is all good.
Personally I don't even like the nexus prime, well the pricing at least. They want us to pay $300+ for a HD screen? Wow... Plus if the GPU it uses is a sgx 540 then that's an even more of a downgrade like the 8mp-5mp camera.

Kailkti said:
...then that's an even more of a downgrade like the 8mp-5mp camera.
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That's bulls**t. The megapixels only tell you about the maximal size of the images, NOT about their actual quality. Why do people still think that more megapixels mean that the camera is better?
I wouldn't be surprised if the camera of the Galaxy Nexus will be much better than the camera of the Galaxy S2. However, we'll see...
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

TheSniperFan said:
That's bulls**t. The megapixels only tell you about the maximal size of the images, NOT about their actual quality. Why do people still think that more megapixels mean that the camera is better?
I wouldn't be surprised if the camera of the Galaxy Nexus will be much better than the camera of the Galaxy S2. However, we'll see...
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
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Because it was used that way by advertisers just like having high cpu frequencies is right now. Why'd you think the s2 got pumped to 1.2 just before launch. But still you are right.
But on the matter, I have a s2 and it is an amazing phone. I don't think you will regret it if you'd bought it. But personally I'd go for the gn but it is mostly based on looks. Although I have never seen one.
ICS will take some time but if you want it as soon as possible the nexus is the way to go. And no TW. It works and it has some cool features but 75% of it is useless to me.

the SGS2 I9100 (this forum) doesn't work on T-Mobile US. I believe you're looking for this forum: http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1329

Carnelain said:
Because it was used that way by advertisers just like having high cpu frequencies is right now. Why'd you think the s2 got pumped to 1.2 just before launch. But still you are right.
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Well you're right. I even underclocked my Galaxy S2 to 800 mhz. It still gets amazing scores thanks to being a dual-core, having an amazing GPU and running MIUI. But now I can play much longer.
I guess I just thought that the people here on xda were smart enough to know, but forgot about the fact that this site has so many different users.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

TheSniperFan said:
Well you're right. I even underclocked my Galaxy S2 to 800 mhz. It still gets amazing scores thanks to being a dual-core, having an amazing GPU and running MIUI. But now I can play much longer.
I guess I just thought that the people here on xda were smart enough to know, but forgot about the fact that this site has so many different users.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
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Well I probably count as one of those many other peeps
Just here to use others creations. Might pick up programming though the more I learn here the more I find these little things nobody cares about.

Well, learning by doing is how I learned what I can today (besides of school). Right now I want to start with developing for Android, but I hate Java and monoDroid is too expensive for someone who only wants to develop apps for personal use.
Wow, got quite off-topic here...
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

TheSniperFan said:
That's bulls**t. The megapixels only tell you about the maximal size of the images, NOT about their actual quality. Why do people still think that more megapixels mean that the camera is better?
I wouldn't be surprised if the camera of the Galaxy Nexus will be much better than the camera of the Galaxy S2. However, we'll see...
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am aware that megapixels mean do not give the actual performance. However in the case of mobile phones and chips, it is highly unlikely samsung will produce or place a 5mp camera better than the 8mp camera found on the sgs 2. This is a mobile camera sensor, there is only so much you can do with it. Aside from lens, etc.

Kailkti said:
I am aware that megapixels mean do not give the actual performance. However in the case of mobile phones and chips, it is highly unlikely samsung will produce or place a 5mp camera better than the 8mp camera found on the sgs 2. This is a mobile camera sensor, there is only so much you can do with it. Aside from lens, etc.
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You forget that there might be some "new technology" that improves the camera. Besides that, the integration of the camera into the OS is also very important and ICS should give the Galaxy Nexus a fair advantage in that point. At least until the Galaxy S2 gets ICS.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

Related

Nexus S or wait for GS II?

Damn, GSII Is coming may first, I love the NS but man GSII is a beast, I have the money right now for NS but Im sure GSII will be a LOT.
What do YOU think?
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
Hang on..
Nexus S is just another version of the original galaxy
Absolutely, its miles ahead as far as the advancements are concerned.
1Ghz vs 1.2Ghz Dual Core Cortex A9's on the S II
512MB Ram vs 1GB Ram on the S II
4 in SAMOLED vs 4.3 in SAMOLED +
patience, my friend...
Galaxy S 2 is worth waiting for.
I wouldnt mind waiting if I had the money, but I feel like I need to stop switching phones so much, I may go with NS for a year or 2, It has all I need after after all, I dont root or rom so in all honesty I think all that 1gb ram, dual core stuff I wont need, all I do is play music web browse, use phone and use some apps, thats it...I dont see the need to wait and spend even more for things that I dont need, I really need to stop getting phone after phone because some new specs come out, NS has all I need, hopefully it will be like that for a couple years until I really need a new phone rather then want, I know the techies want the latest and greatest but to the average user, they dont care as long as it has the things you need rather then ram, processer etc, I need to start thinking like that rather then drooling over every new phone, its a waste of money.
Just my opinion, hopefully NS can last me.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
I also am not prone to change phones often. My current phone is an HTC Touch Dual I've had for like 4 years.BUT I like to buy the best when I do; which right now happens to be the Galaxy SII. That's why I've preordered already.
In that case, it is better to somewhat future proof your investment by buying the current technology and utilizing it to the fullest.
SGSII will be better for you in the long run.
Samsung Galaxy S2, no doubt about it, lol.
Yea but how much lol? I can get the NS for $560, whats the GSII gonna be? $700?
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
We can't tell you for sure until it's announced in each region, but it's definitely worth the wait to find out. You're talking about buying a last gen phone vs a cutting edge phone basically. Do you want to spend $500 and have an already outdated phone, or maybe roughly the same, maybe a little more for a top of the line phone? The Nexus S is a great phone for sure, but this is a fast paced industry and with the dual core CPUs and the new SAMOLED+ screen, I think it's worth the wait and maybe a little more money.
Its a no brainer for me.
SII of course.
Perhaps waiting for a few weeks will give you some clear cut details on the launch and costing.
SGS II without a doubt. The Nexus S is a great phone, but doesn't hold a candle to the SGS II.
Yea get the galaxy s 2 just don't expect any software updated...
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA Premium App
andersonrt said:
Yea get the galaxy s 2 just don't expect any software updated...
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA Premium App
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That is where the phone being not boot-locked and XDA developers come in...and personaly for me this will be the deciding factor as I know how slow both my carrier (A$&$) and Samsung about releasing software updates.rolleyes:
Samsung have been improving with frequence of updates however...at least for some phones...
Nexus S is a cool phone but I could never understand why they castrated some parts off of it.
Updates are nice, yes, but since the phone comes with 2.3, it probably won't be a big deal to me. The wait from 2.1 to 2.2 was horrible because Flash is such a huge addition, but have they said what the killer feature will be past Gingerbread? I doubt it'll be as huge as Flash was.
Went ahead and got the NS, glad I did, I will be happy with it as it is the full google experience, great looking phone, SAmoled, I mean it has everything I need, Im sure the SAmoled+ will be cool but thats the main thing I would want, back when I had the captivate only things I wanted was that ATT would not block apps, a camera flash, and a FFC, now I have it all! What more do I need, perhaps in 1 1/2-2 years I get the Dual Core stuff, but for now Im sure the NS will be perfect for me and my needs.
You have my sincere condolences.
buttes said:
Updates are nice, yes, but since the phone comes with 2.3, it probably won't be a big deal to me. The wait from 2.1 to 2.2 was horrible because Flash is such a huge addition, but have they said what the killer feature will be past Gingerbread? I doubt it'll be as huge as Flash was.
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GPU acceleration probably.
Overlord Yuri said:
You have my sincere condolences.
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+1.
But profit from it though, it's still a great Android Phone.
meh not everyone obsesses over the latest gadgets, I used to but not anymore.

Black or White

Hey guys, feels good to be back on i9100 forums, bought an i727, and i must say, i hate that that POS phone, 1.5Ghz feels like 1.0 Ghz single core. Im going back to my old Galaxy S2 after i sell the i727. Really want to get the white one, BUT, checked Gsmarena and it says that the white Galaxy S2 has a different chipset and a different GPU, now, my question is, will i be able to flash ROMs without any problems or incapability issues? And will i see much difference between the two phones? Slower faster, better worse? Im also a gaming fan, and when i used to download games, i remember there a different .apk's for different types of GPU, finding APK's for Mali 400 was never a problem, but what about the PowerVR SGX540? Thanks a lot guys.
Checked out some benchmarks, which i know dont really mean too much, optimus 3d and bionic use same gpu and chipset, but they are worse than exynos sgs2. How significant is this?
Deniska11 said:
Hey guys, feels good to be back on i9100 forums, bought an i727, and i must say, i hate that that POS phone, 1.5Ghz feels like 1.0 Ghz single core. Im going back to my old Galaxy S2 after i sell the i727. Really want to get the white one, BUT, checked Gsmarena and it says that the white Galaxy S2 has a different chipset and a different GPU, now, my question is, will i be able to flash ROMs without any problems or incapability issues? And will i see much difference between the two phones? Slower faster, better worse? Im also a gaming fan, and when i used to download games, i remember there a different .apk's for different types of GPU, finding APK's for Mali 400 was never a problem, but what about the PowerVR SGX540? Thanks a lot guys.
Checked out some benchmarks, which i know dont really mean too much, optimus 3d and bionic use same gpu and chipset, but they are worse than exynos sgs2. How significant is this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In theory, there's no difference between a black GT-I9100 and a white one. What's probably happened is that the site has two different devices (the GSII, and a variant) listed as the same device. Go look up the specs of the international GT-I9100 and pick the one that matches that.
Regarding the question about compatibility, if the device really does have a different chipset and GPU, then no, you'll need ROMs and kernels that are tailored to that device's hardware - so you'd need to figure out which variant of the GSII it is.
On a personal note, I think the black Galaxy S II looks better than the white one
Thanks a lot for the reply bud. Yea i figured the ROMs wouldnt be suitable for different hardware, so thanks for confirming. I went on Bell's website (my provider) to check the specs, but obviously they dont go into such deep details. I guess i will have to ask someone who already has this phone to look up the specs in the manual or something.
I had a black one for four months, just wanna try white, to me the white one looks better
Thanks again
Deniska11 said:
Thanks a lot for the reply bud. Yea i figured the ROMs wouldnt be suitable for different hardware, so thanks for confirming. I went on Bell's website (my provider) to check the specs, but obviously they dont go into such deep details. I guess i will have to ask someone who already has this phone to look up the specs in the manual or something.
I had a black one for four months, just wanna try white, to me the white one looks better
Thanks again
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Could you link me to the page, I might be able to help
screamworks said:
Could you link me to the page, I might be able to help
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Click to collapse
http://www.bell.ca/Mobility/Products/Samsung_Galaxy_S_II_4G_White
Saw a Nexus commercial, highly considering, but only because of ICS, but then i figured SGS2 will also get ICS, so i guess ill wait
Black verison FTW hell yeah ..!!!!
Deniska11 said:
http://www.bell.ca/Mobility/Products/Samsung_Galaxy_S_II_4G_White
Saw a Nexus commercial, highly considering, but only because of ICS, but then i figured SGS2 will also get ICS, so i guess ill wait
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So that one there looks fine, minus the fact it has LTE capabilities, which are lacking in the original GSII. I can't shed much light here, unfortunately.
That said, I think you should go with the Galaxy Nexus - the Galaxy S II is a fantastic piece of hardware, but in nearly every aspect the Galaxy Nexus either matches it, or beats it, and, more importantly, not only does the Galaxy Nexus get direct updates from Google immediately (compared to 4+ months from Samsung), but from experience, all the best development happens for Nexus devices. If it's within your means, go the Galaxy Nexus.
Nexus is 600$ here in Toronto, and thats a bit out of my price range, i mean i can definitely buy it, i just dont see/know if its worth the 150$ extra dollars. Im a heavy camera user, and having an 8mp camera is a huge plus for sgs2. Going back to 5mp....naw. My 5 year old nokia n95 8gig has the same camera. Also dont like how it doesnt have a scratch-less glass. But you definitely made me think Is the nexus really that good? And can you please expand on the updates part? Immediate updates?
PS. Cant see where you found that its LTE compatable, maybe took a wrong turn by accident?
Deniska11 said:
Nexus is 600$ here in Toronto, and thats a bit out of my price range, i mean i can definitely buy it, i just dont see/know if its worth the 150$ extra dollars. Im a heavy camera user, and having an 8mp camera is a huge plus for sgs2. Going back to 5mp....naw. My 5 year old nokia n95 8gig has the same camera. Also dont like how it doesnt have a scratch-less glass. But you definitely made me think Is the nexus really that good? And can you please expand on the updates part? Immediate updates?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the long run, it's worth it. Believe me on that.
On the camera, yeah, it's a bit of a step down, but 5MP is by no means a bad camera, and the shutter speed of the Galaxy Nexus is lightyears ahead of the Galaxy S II. Plus, lense technology in smartphones has come a long way since the days of the N95 - so while the sensor might be the same resolution, the picture quality is just amazing.
The glass on the Galaxy Nexus, while not 'Gorilla Glass', which keep in mind is just a marketing term for chemically strengthened glass, is still very scratch resistant. As long as you take care of your device as you would any expensive device, it'll be fine. As a precaution, I'd still apply a screen protector though - but I do that with even my Galaxy S II, no matter how scratch resistant it is. Plus, the curved glass is so much more ergonomic and pleasant to use (and looks downright sexy).
About the updates...
When Google finishes developing updates for Android, i.e. once they've finished the coding and testing, they release it for Nexus devices only, so the Nexus One, the Nexus S, and the Galaxy Nexus - any other phone has to have the code ported to it by it's manufacturer, a process which takes months. So, the Nexus devices always get updates first, months before any other device.
All this, plus the fact that there's no carrier bloatware, and a 720p HD screen, etc. makes it one killer device!
Got too carried aay with the new years. I checked out a loooot of videos on the Nexus, i really like the software, but the speed doesnt impress me, that lag between transition from portrait to landscape...i kid you not, my N95 did it faster and in this one review they were complaining a lot about the camera. Huuge, no no for me. Its quite pricey, and the reason being is, ICS. If other phones start getting ICS, this phone will drop in price like craaazyyy. I found a good S2 for 400, and now the margin increased to 200$ between S2 and the nexus, and to tell you the truth i dont think the nexus is 200$ better.
Deniska11 said:
Got too carried aay with the new years. I checked out a loooot of videos on the Nexus, i really like the software, but the speed doesnt impress me, that lag between transition from portrait to landscape...i kid you not, my N95 did it faster and in this one review they were complaining a lot about the camera. Huuge, no no for me. Its quite pricey, and the reason being is, ICS. If other phones start getting ICS, this phone will drop in price like craaazyyy. I found a good S2 for 400, and now the margin increased to 200$ between S2 and the nexus, and to tell you the truth i dont think the nexus is 200$ better.
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Click to collapse
Well hey, it comes down to what suits you
Best of luck with it all!
screamworks.
screamworks said:
Well hey, it comes down to what suits you
Best of luck with it all!
screamworks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you approve my logic?
ICS is pretty much made for SGS2, maybe a month or so and it will be ready to use.
Deniska11 said:
Do you approve my logic?
ICS is pretty much made for SGS2, maybe a month or so and it will be ready to use.
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Click to collapse
Now that NITZ is fixed in XXKP8, and the CyanogenMod 9 team have solved a lot of the camera issues, etc., I think you're about right with a month for a decent daily driver - but Samsung won't have an official ICS ROM until around April.
Personally, I'd go the Galaxy Nexus, but the Galaxy S II is still a monster phone, so go with whatever you prefer.
Get a pink SGS2. Stylish
In all seriousness tho, if you're choosing (or not) a phone based on the colour of the handset, you really should be asking yourself what the hell you're doing on XDA in the first place
screamworks said:
Now that NITZ is fixed in XXKP8, and the CyanogenMod 9 team have solved a lot of the camera issues, etc., I think you're about right with a month for a decent daily driver - but Samsung won't have an official ICS ROM until around April.
Personally, I'd go the Galaxy Nexus, but the Galaxy S II is still a monster phone, so go with whatever you prefer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont mind waiting for an official, but if the one on xda is worthy, ill get that. Speaking of the fix, im quite amazed xda already got roms, i mean...how long ago was the phone released? Thanks a lot for your input anyways man.
MistahBungle said:
Get a pink SGS2. Stylish
In all seriousness tho, if you're choosing (or not) a phone based on the colour of the handset, you really should be asking yourself what the hell you're doing on XDA in the first place
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Click to collapse
Lol, the things xda keeps enforcing are: dont spam and read previous posts. Not only are you posting a garbage/useless reply, but you also dont know where i am coming from because you failed to read.....anything from this thread. My question was wether i need a diiferent rom, if the s2 had different internals.
I guess you'd better report me to the mods then.
Edit to add - You were told in the first reply to your OP that you were mistaken re: differences in specs between different coloured handsets. If you'd bothered to do your research properly (even Wikipedia would have given you the differences in hardware between the SGS2 "variants"), you would have known this already :-|
Deniska11 said:
Lol, the things xda keeps enforcing are: dont spam and read previous posts. Not only are you posting a garbage/useless reply, but you also dont know where i am coming from because you failed to read.....anything from this thread.
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on my family there are 3 sgs2, 2 blacks and my sgs2 white, al of them gt-i9100 with same specifications and the same performance, it only changes with the different version like the lte.
Deniska11 said:
I dont mind waiting for an official, but if the one on xda is worthy, ill get that. Speaking of the fix, im quite amazed xda already got roms, i mean...how long ago was the phone released? Thanks a lot for your input anyways man.
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Well, considering that with Gingerbread, I run CyanogenMod 7 instead of Samsung's ROM, I think I'll end up going with the CyanogenMod 9 ROM over Samsung's anyway
The Galaxy S II, at least in Australia, launched in May last year. If you're referring to the Galaxy Nexus, it'd be about a month or so, give or take two weeks. But the source code was out about a week or two before the Galaxy Nexus shipped, and has been out for around two months or so, again give or take a bit
I might be getting one sometime in the next few weeks. I was just wondering, is anyone using an InvisibleShield, or BSE or any other skin on their white Galaxy S II?
I'm curious as to how it looks, if it makes the white look less... white.
Gonna buy mine sometime soon too. I dont think it makes a difference, my friend has a white iphone with a ghost screen protector, it lookes exactly the same. MAYBE just a tiny little bit less...white

Galaxy Nexus or SGS-II ?

Hello guys,
I have been an oppurtunity to swap brand new Galaxy Nexus with my Samsung Galaxy S2. Should I do it?
[x] If yes, Please state why?
[x] If no, Why not?
Can anyone list out pros and cons?
Can I bank on the future development of GNexus? As of now, Gnex has nothing additional to SGS-II.
Your voice?
If the 16GB fixed storage on the GN is enough for you then go for it, but if you need additional SD Card storage take the S2.
Asking this in SII forums? You think people will say Nexus is better?
SII for me.
It depends on what you want, since you lose some and get some in this trade . First if you want high spec smartphone you should be happy with SGS2 compared to Nexus, but if you want the pure Google android experience with latest stable android updates, nexus is superior.
Gnexus. Has a much better ics version n pure google and the hd display. But u should research them yourself this is a silly place to ask. ;-)
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
The Nexus Vs S2 is down to physical appearance and also if you need the extra RAM. The only thing going for the nexus is the screen resolution and the look. The software which is on the nexus can be ported over to the S2.
Personally i would say they are both equal, as the Nexus does feel like a phone, the resolution is nice but it lacks the hardware of the S2, the S2 in terms of hardware beats the nexus hands down but it is light, it doesnt feel like a phone because it is light and plastic like.
ATM the nexus holds its value greater than the S2 and S2 used are going for a lot less.
If i was set with the choice without having to pay anything extra i would go for the S2 mainly beause it is future proof with the higher spec.
Not yet released in india
So no warranty
I heard some display issues with Gnex and u won't have warranty so won't be able to replace the display for free
And in india people don't even know nexus devices and they are not popular here u know
and better wait for the next big thing or next nexus
I won't downgrade my storage by nexus...
Neo said:
Hello guys,
I have been an oppurtunity to swap brand new Galaxy Nexus with my Samsung Galaxy S2. Should I do it?
[x] If yes, Please state why?
[x] If no, Why not?
Can anyone list out pros and cons?
Can I bank on the future development of GNexus? As of now, Gnex has nothing additional to SGS-II.
Your voice?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
differences are:
SD card support (only internal 16g storage on gnex)
screen type (no gorilla glass on gnex)
screen resolution and size (higher and larger on gnex)
better camera on S2
design and feel (purely subjective.. up to each user to judge)
minor differences in hardware otherwise.. not something users will notice
pure google on gnex versus samsung android on s2
better battery on s2 (unless u buy original extended battery for gnex)
Depends what your priorities are. Both phones are awesome!
For me screen resolution and size, pure google experience and design and feel were more important than slightly better camera and SD card support.
The only thing I did was to buy 2000 mah extended battery from samsung korea and now that I with average to heavy use get about 48 hours of battery life I'm happy with my choice.
iPhone 1...
All the previous posters who have asked the exact same question may be better placed to give you an answer .
jje
Thanks guys
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
it's no question, get a nexus. its so much better. looks better, buildquality lightyears better, s2 is a slippery fish in your hands, screen that makes the s2's look like crap, its big enough to read entire webpages, its even big enough to drop ics into tablet mode, the device itself though is not much bigger, we're talkin millimeters. it has no stupid hardware buttons, and most importantly, pure ics. the s2 maybe has a better gpu or whatever, but in real life i don't see the difference. the only thing that sucks is the sd-card.
just look at your phone, you still did not get ics. samsung needed half a year to vomit it's ugliest breed of touchwizz on it. you're sitting on that thing without drivers and if you want to run a modern OS you willingly deal with a crapload of faults because all you have is leaks. you bought it alright, but you dont OWN it, samsung does. in a few months that thing is history, its becomming old, and samsung has already wasted half it's shelf-life since ics came out. i have both, s2 and nexus. s2 is far from what you're getting with nexus, which has a flowering community, newest, freshest rom's. bear in mind, nexus is open by design, no stupid odin, no hacks, you unlock it with documented toolsets.
It generally depends on what you use your phone for - if it's media consumption then the SGS2 is by far the better phone, but if you don't use the added functionality of the SGS2, then the GNex is the best choice. I personally love the looks of the Gnex, but couldn't live without hardware accelerated mkv playback support.
I don't like the look of gnex though i have seen it only in pictures, also some nexuses get their updates from samsung not from google, but I don't know the diffrence between those updates, I guess there ain't any diffrence but not sure?
Sent from my sgs2 running cm9 using xda app
Makrilli said:
I don't like the look of gnex though i have seen it only in pictures, also some nexuses get their updates from samsung not from google, but I don't know the diffrence between those updates, I guess there ain't any diffrence but not sure?
Sent from my sgs2 running cm9 using xda app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hold one in your hand and you'll think differently. i also love my s2, and i thought gnex is too big or whatever. well, it's perfect. i was suprised, too. about that samsung thing, i have heard it's a myth or misunderstanding but in any way, it does not matter. you unlock that phone by pressing one button on your keyboard. load up gnex-toolkit and press "7," bang, open. after that you can choose from a wealth of really cool roms, all based on freshest ics open-source. who cares about googles ota updates anyway, they are boring. take a look in the build section here, more and more you'll see leaks based on things like "aokp," now where do you think that comes from, from nexus of course.
Without trying to be biased but yes I would go for the S2 because I wouldn't like the idea of having no external storage on the fly.
Galaxy Nexus will be supported for much longer, has the pure Google experience and a superior screen.
Sent from my GT-I9100
accept it. get the brand new gnex, sell it and buy another sgs2
in hardware aspect sgs is much better, better camera powerfull cpu gpu and ... but in software i like aosp ics much more
Neo said:
Thanks guys
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What did you you do
Sent from my ADR6350 using XDA

Performance vs GSIII

Sorry, realized this is probably the wrong forum but it wont let me delete
HI all, i recently purchased a ATT Note and love it. I have come back to droid after being on the iphone for a while. I fell in love with the screen. I almost sided with the Galaxy SIII due to the performance being so much better but the display model Note was not running ICS. So i got the note, brought it home and got it updated. Its a great phone, i love it. Especially for me being able to remote into my work computer and assist end users in troubleshooting. I am getting close to returning it though and getting the GSIII due to it being just so much faster. Is there a current ROM available that improves performance? There just seems to be so much lag when opening things up and when typing. The GSIII also has a nice screen but is noticeably smaller to me and that was a drawback but the performance is really better to me and things open instantly. Thanks for any input! I apologize for any repost i did a search and did not really see anything, Thanks for any help!
robaeby said:
Sorry, realized this is probably the wrong forum but it wont let me delete
HI all, i recently purchased a ATT Note and love it. I have come back to droid after being on the iphone for a while. I fell in love with the screen. I almost sided with the Galaxy SIII due to the performance being so much better but the display model Note was not running ICS. So i got the note, brought it home and got it updated. Its a great phone, i love it. Especially for me being able to remote into my work computer and assist end users in troubleshooting. I am getting close to returning it though and getting the GSIII due to it being just so much faster. Is there a current ROM available that improves performance? There just seems to be so much lag when opening things up and when typing. The GSIII also has a nice screen but is noticeably smaller to me and that was a drawback but the performance is really better to me and things open instantly. Thanks for any input! I apologize for any repost i did a search and did not really see anything, Thanks for any help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get it rooted if you have not already and get away from stock ICS, its poop. Literally. You will notice a drastic difference with any lag with many of the Dev's roms here. PA is my personal preference but any Cyanogen build or... Man just read some stuff and decide for your self. Bottom line, drop ICS.
And yes it is the wrong forum.
Root, rom, and use h0twire oc if roming with ics based rom... turns the phone into a beast
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
Thanks for the replies! This is great news! I shall get to work. It's been a while for me on the droid. My last one was the captivate. I had to go back to an iPhone due to my corporate offices not allowing email and such to be used on the droid devices. They are finally allowing touchdown so i am so happy to be back on the droids!!!
I am happy to hear that the performance can be improved. I had posted in teh Q&A section and i am getting some great replies like just get an ipad. Wonderful help! lol
Cm9 performance is awesome even without an oc kernel.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
Get on CM10 not CM9 thats oldschool.
Eric-1987 said:
Get on CM10 not CM9 thats oldschool.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But there's no OC support yet.
I'm ready to use Jelly Bean primarily as much as the next person but to be honest, its just not quite ready if you consider the performance. The graphics kinks haven't all been ironed out yet so if you're wanting to really see the full potential of your Note, I would recommend using either the official Cyanogenmod ROM (or the latest nightly) or h0twir3's current remake of it. They have the fastest, most responsive feel to me compared to all of the other ROM's available right now, plus they're clean and basic which is always my preference. Jelly Bean is getting better every day though so give it a whirl if you like. I'm expecting it to be exponentially improved by the end of the month.
Its to argue against the sg3. It has 2gb of ram and thats pretty much the difference. Its always gonna seem a bit zippy in comparison. I like my note for screen size, s-pen, quality software and dev support. No other phone has those requirements at the moment. And obviously it can stand up wit the other top tier phone around. It becomes a matter of preference and necessity so its totally up to you.
Sent from the Great White Note
Gubment cheese rom has been wonderful for me. Super fast and no issues
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda app-developers app
Stock cm9 with no oc is quite fast. I have no complaints. (I actually had to go double check I was using stock kernel with no oc).
Sure I would love a device with a stronger gpu at least, but for me the screen outweighs all at the moment.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda app-developers app
Vicious Von said:
Its to argue against the sg3. It has 2gb of ram and thats pretty much the difference. Its always gonna seem a bit zippy in comparison. I like my note for screen size, s-pen, quality software and dev support. No other phone has those requirements at the moment. And obviously it can stand up wit the other top tier phone around. It becomes a matter of preference and necessity so its totally up to you.
Sent from the Great White Note
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not all sg3 have 2GB of ram btw.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda app-developers app
Which one doesn't? That's a bummer if so and that makes the sg3 just an upgrade of apps to the sg2. Where's the hardware upgrades?
Sent from the Great White Note
The international model has 1 GB of ram but a quad core processor.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
XDA is no longer worth my time.
Stock stuff to work again? CM10 is closest to stock you're going to see. Touchwiz BS isn't stock LOL.
S-Pen
Vicious Von said:
Its to argue against the sg3. It has 2gb of ram and thats pretty much the difference. Its always gonna seem a bit zippy in comparison. I like my note for screen size, s-pen, quality software and dev support. No other phone has those requirements at the moment. And obviously it can stand up wit the other top tier phone around. It becomes a matter of preference and necessity so its totally up to you.
Sent from the Great White Note
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im still running stock ICS, rooted, and cleaned of junk apps, and Im happy with it. I use the S-Pen with S-Notes all the time. I know there's no S-Notes support on CM9, so what do you guys use as an alternative?
Gnote, memo, Sketchbook, papyrus. All in the play store.
Sent from the Great White Note
I own a note sgs3 sgs3 and sgs. The note seemed a little bit slower then my s3. But all I use my note for is around the house.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Eric-1987 said:
Get on CM10 not CM9 thats oldschool.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but is there any JB rom that's non CM-ish?(meaning not aosp akop etc)
no regular jelly bean lol?
reason i say that is because stuff like visual voice mail and other programs just won't work properly on those types of roms

How great is this phone?

Hey guys, my contract expires in a month and I am looking at a couple of new phones to buy. I currently own a Droid Incredible, and I absolutely love it. The only thing that I don't like about it is that it has poor battery life, and it's kind of slow. Things that I do like about it are that I have a plethora of roms to choose from and it has great development support. Some phones that I am looking to buy are the Droid Razr Maxx HD, Samsung Galaxy S3, and the Google Nexus. Can you tell me about the pros and cons of the S3? How is the developer support for this phone? I appreciate any help!
Developer support isn't the worst but it isn't the best, the Exynos 4412 is Faster than it needs to be, don't go for a Snapdragon S4 Quad just because its faster... the differences are minimal.
If I was you I would get the Nexus 4 over the Galaxy Nexus if you were to get a Nexus device.
Cons:
Not much.
ra9b said:
Hey guys, my contract expires in a month and I am looking at a couple of new phones to buy. I currently own a Droid Incredible, and I absolutely love it. The only thing that I don't like about it is that it has poor battery life, and it's kind of slow. Things that I do like about it are that I have a plethora of roms to choose from and it has great development support. Some phones that I am looking to buy are the Droid Razr Maxx HD, Samsung Galaxy S3, and the Google Nexus. Can you tell me about the pros and cons of the S3? How is the developer support for this phone? I appreciate any help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CUSTOM ROMS
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1566
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1685
je
everything is great with this phone, developer community, xda support community is good, frequency of software updates from samsung is also good compared to other OEMs at the moment...overall phone experience is excellent and you will not be disappointed...however, sgs3 suffers from two issues...
1) stock Contacts & Phone App lags, takes 3-4 seconds to open for the first time and will not stay in memory for a long time for fast opening..this sucks...work around is avaliable like Exdialer app from play store or Jkay mod for SGS3 to keep contacts and dialer app in memory always.
2) heavy apps installed from market cannot be moved into external memory (memory stick)...work around available though I guess..!
If you are comfortable flashing a custom rom, kernel or mods, then it's a wonderful phone.
Stock experience is good but has some shortcomings like mentioned before.
Overall, I think it's the most balanced device right now. Removable battery and micro sd slot surely give it an edge and it's not as large as a Note.
Xperia Z would be also a great choice if you decide to wait. Seems that it would be a better choice IF you can wait a month or two.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
@TheCraig: what do you mean it isn't the best? Like, the dev support for the droid incredible is great. The phone is 3 years old but we still have about 5 jelly bean roms, and 2 4.2 unofficial nightly roms which is great!
@gchindi: well, i am not too worried about the contacts and phone apks taking a while to load. and how big apk files are we talking about?
@drakester09: yeah, i am addicted to flashing. I have a gtab 2 so i'm familiar with the rooting process for samsung devices as well. i don't like the stock interface too much. i can't stand touchwiz for some reason lol.
thanks for your help guys. can one of you upload a screenshot of your battery usage graphs too? just for comparison with my battery life. i'd greatly appreciate that.
ra9b said:
@TheCraig: what do you mean it isn't the best? Like, the dev support for the droid incredible is great. The phone is 3 years old but we still have about 5 jelly bean roms, and 2 4.2 unofficial nightly roms which is great!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
he was talking about the SGS3, I thought you were too
Glebun said:
he was talking about the SGS3, I thought you were too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
haha let me clarify. i was telling him what the dev support is like on the dinc so that he could compare it to the dev support on the gs3.
oh, I got you.
ra9b said:
@TheCraig: what do you mean it isn't the best? Like, the dev support for the droid incredible is great. The phone is 3 years old but we still have about 5 jelly bean roms, and 2 4.2 unofficial nightly roms which is great!
@gchindi: well, i am not too worried about the contacts and phone apks taking a while to load. and how big apk files are we talking about?
@drakester09: yeah, i am addicted to flashing. I have a gtab 2 so i'm familiar with the rooting process for samsung devices as well. i don't like the stock interface too much. i can't stand touchwiz for some reason lol.
thanks for your help guys. can one of you upload a screenshot of your battery usage graphs too? just for comparison with my battery life. i'd greatly appreciate that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I meant to say the dev support for the Galaxy S3, which isn't massively impressive compared to the Nexus, but that's expected as AOSP is made for Nexus.
TheCraig said:
I meant to say the dev support for the Galaxy S3, which isn't massively impressive compared to the Nexus, but that's expected as AOSP is made for Nexus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ohh OK. I was going threw the development forum and it looks pretty good.
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda app-developers app
It's has great hardware but horrible software specially Ram Management.
For example, you wanna enjoy some tracks while browsing web ?
Forget it, the songs start to shutter .
eggman89 said:
It's has great hardware but horrible software specially Ram Management.
For example, you wanna enjoy some tracks while browsing web ?
Forget it, the songs start to shutter .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Easily fixed with a new kernel or ROM.
Worst thing about Samsung bloatware, but that isn't as bad with the I9305 and its 2G ram.
I'd wait for the SGS4!
LG, Lucky Goldstar anything but...
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Yeah, I'd hold off for a few months if you can - get a discount off your monthly bill from your service provider, save that money, then pull the trigger on a brand new S4 when that comes out. S3 is a great phone, and there's nothing else I'd rather have at the moment (except maybe the i9305 with more RAM, although a much weaker dev scene). But with the S4 release within spitting distance now, you'd be mad not to wait. Unless cost is an issue, in which case I'd still say wait, cos the S3 will drop in price quite a bit when the S4 is released. Might as well get yourself synced up with the Galaxy S release cycle now, cos once you have one you're unlikely to want to go elsewhere. I did buy myself a Nexus 4 when that came out, but the only benefits that had was the software (if you're into vanilla Android) and two gigs of RAM. EVERYTHING else was inferior to my S3, so I ended up sending the N4 back.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
setspeed said:
Yeah, I'd hold off for a few months if you can - get a discount off your monthly bill from your service provider, save that money, then pull the trigger on a brand new S4 when that comes out. S3 is a great phone, and there's nothing else I'd rather have at the moment (except maybe the i9305 with more RAM, although a much weaker dev scene). But with the S4 release within spitting distance now, you'd be mad not to wait. Unless cost is an issue, in which case I'd still say wait, cos the S3 will drop in price quite a bit when the S4 is released. Might as well get yourself synced up with the Galaxy S release cycle now, cos once you have one you're unlikely to want to go elsewhere. I did buy myself a Nexus 4 when that came out, but the only benefits that had was the software (if you're into vanilla Android) and two gigs of RAM. EVERYTHING else was inferior to my S3, so I ended up sending the N4 back.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i was thinking about waiting for the s4 but i don't know when exactly it will come out. regardless, i probably won't buy it since i personally think that it might be too over powered and the battery life will take a hit, but hey, you never know. you're right about the S3's cost dropping though. i was looking at the nexus 4, but the no microSD card
(at least that's what i've read) was a complete turn off for me.
40 million S3 units sold, having come from HTC I can see why just on the quality of components Samsung uses in it's phones. I had a choice between the new nexus and the S3, the removable battery and sd card sold it for me but I'm very impressed by how well the software works. All my phones up to now had AOSP, this is the first that has ( albeit a stripped down version) a stock ROM onboard after three months use.
boomboomer said:
40 million S3 units sold, having come from HTC I can see why just on the quality of components Samsung uses in it's phones. I had a choice between the new nexus and the S3, the removable battery and sd card sold it for me but I'm very impressed by how well the software works. All my phones up to now had AOSP, this is the first that has ( albeit a stripped down version) a stock ROM onboard after three months use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah the s3 is pretty great. I've played around with it and I really like it. Is the battery life good with touchwiz or is it better with cm10.1?
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda app-developers app
Its all about choice. I have a nexus 7 which is a bigger version of the Google nexus in theory. Do you mean Google nexus or the nexus 4? I have to say that I love the jelly bean on the nexus and especially the user interface which I think is very simple to use on my nexus7. The RAZR maxx has the best battery life out of any phone I have seen on the market. My friend has one and funnily enough I have a s3. The s3 is brilliant you can really feel and see the quality Samsung put into making their phones. I came from HTC myself after having alot of issues with the one x . I would recommend either the nexus 4, simply because of the software and easy access and the s3 because of the removable battery and SD card which is what made me go for the s3 rather than the nexus
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
ra9b said:
i was thinking about waiting for the s4 but i don't know when exactly it will come out. regardless, i probably won't buy it since i personally think that it might be too over powered and the battery life will take a hit, but hey, you never know. you're right about the S3's cost dropping though. i was looking at the nexus 4, but the no microSD card
(at least that's what i've read) was a complete turn off for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I highly doubt this will be the case - the battery life will be no worse than the S3 (most likely better). Chances are it will have a bigger battery as well as a better CPU (which will have better power management). The possibly larger screen and 1080P will obviously have a negative effect. This is obviously basing off rumour specs (and no one will really know until the phone is released), though point is, just because the phone is more powerful doesn't mean the battery life will be worse. The S3 is more powerful than the S2, though has better battery life (for me anyways).
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
samkent6 said:
Its all about choice. I have a nexus 7 which is a bigger version of the Google nexus in theory. Do you mean Google nexus or the nexus 4? I have to say that I love the jelly bean on the nexus and especially the user interface which I think is very simple to use on my nexus7. The RAZR maxx has the best battery life out of any phone I have seen on the market. My friend has one and funnily enough I have a s3. The s3 is brilliant you can really feel and see the quality Samsung put into making their phones. I came from HTC myself after having alot of issues with the one x . I would recommend either the nexus 4, simply because of the software and easy access and the s3 because of the removable battery and SD card which is what made me go for the s3 rather than the nexus
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, the Nexus 4. What was wrong with your One X? But yeah, I think I'm going to go with the S3. It has a lot of roms (so that beats out the raxr) and it has a micro SD(beating put the Nexus). Having a rooted droid incredible has kind of made those two things a necessity for me.
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda app-developers app

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