the nexus experience

[prashady]

Hey guys!

Alright here are some questions I have concerning android.

I have been using a droid x since it first came out in 2010. I lost it recently and borrowed a friend's LG ally.

I am on Verizon and want to get a new phone.

I am thinking of getting the droid dna that just came out.

So now the questions:

1. should i get the droid dna? if not then which other phones should i consider

2. i want the latest version of android, is there any way I can install 4.2 on the droid dna if HTC is taking too long?

3. how does this whole rom thing work. basically what i want to know is can u just take what google releases and install it on your phone or do you have to make changes to it.

4. why do manufacturers keep making phones with physical buttons when clearly android (post gingerbread) is meant to use onscreen buttons only.


*UPDATE*

The reason I am on Verizon is cuz i have the unlimited plan. but now that TMOBILE has got an unlimited plan Im thinking of switching careers and buying the nexus 4.

And I will be paying about $65 a month. does that sound better than staying on verizon and getting the Droid Dna?

 

[Mostly Harmless]

1. DNA looks like a nice phone but just know that it is also a big phone. I would make sure to look at it in person. Also look at the Samsung Galaxy S3.

2. Yes you can if you root your phone and install a ROM on it (if a 4.2 ROM exist). A lot of people mess up their phones because they attempt to root and install a ROM without doing proper research. This forum is littered with post from users who attempt to root their phones and got in over their heads. I would visit xda-developers.com and read up on it. Also make sure you read up on how to unroot a phone and it may come in handy.

3. No, you can not just take what Google releases and install it on your phone. Basically a developer will take that code and modify it to work on your phone. Once again I would visit Android, Windows Phone, and Windows Mobile Development News, Information, and Howtos - XDA Developers, particularly the HTC DNA section if that's the phone you choose.

4. Your guess is as good as mine.

 

[prashady]

so basically unless someone specifically makes a rom for my phone there is a chance i will not get the latest updates?

 

[AntimonyER]

Welcome to AF, prashady! What Mostly Harmless said is correct. As far as what phone you get, your best bet is to compare the offerings at your nearest VZW store. The Droid DNA looks like an excellent phone, and I am having a really hard time saying no to it myself. There are a couple members who got early access to it, and are really singing its praises.

But yeah, as far as development, you will have to wait for developers to cook a ROM for you before you will be able to get 4.2, or whatever the latest version is. Being a flagship phone on Verizon, the chances of there not being a decent number of developers is slim to none though.

 

[Crashdamage]

Since the DNA is a brand new high-end phone, chances are excellent that it will get an official OTA update to 4.2 and possibly even another update after that. It's more a question of when it gets updated than if.

But ditching VZW for a Nexus 4 on T-Mobile sounds like a great plan, and much cheaper.

 

[garywojdan81]

Since the DNA is a brand new high-end phone, chances are excellent that it will get an official OTA update to 4.2 and possibly even another update after that. It's more a question of when it gets updated than if.

But ditching VZW for a Nexus 4 on T-Mobile sounds like a great plan, and much cheaper.

That's true, unless 4g is important to you. The N4 is apparently 3g only.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[Crashdamage]

That's true, unless 4g is important to you. The N4 is apparently 3g only.

Not true. The Nexus 4 has HSPA+ 42mbps which delivers 4G speed and is marketed as 4G. T-Mobile HSPA+ is often actually faster than VZW LTE 4G yet easier on the battery. If there's good T-Mobile 4G coverage in your area you will be quite happy with the speed. AT&T also has HSPA+ but it's usually slower than T-Mobile. Still faster than 3G however.

 

[prashady]

I will do some research and see how good T mobile's coverage is around my area. If it is decent, I will switch.

I was waiting for the DNA since June. Thought it was going to be released as the Nexus 5. Also I am really not a fan of physical buttons. Takes up too much screen space.

I was really looking forward to the combination of LTE+QUADCORE but unfortunately it wasn't a nexus.

I had a really frustrating experience with my droid x sometimes. If I sign a 2 year contract, I expect it to be supported for 2 years at least.

At least I know with nexus 4 I will be supported longer than i will be for droid dna.

the line between "hspa" and "lte" is not very clear in the market. Though theoretically LTE should be much faster, HSPA+ is doing a great job.

as for specs they are pretty much identical. I just have to choose between better software or 1080p screen.

let me know what you guys think

 

[Shocky]

I wouldn't worry about the "Nexus" experience, buy whatever phone you want and just use Nova Launcher, it's more responsive than stock Android, as fast as Touchwiz on the S3 and highly customizable

Having the latest version of Android is really not that important, unless your still on gingerbread of course...

I for one don't like on screen buttons, on phones or tablets.

 

[ouch1976]

Here are a few things to think about....

1 - If you buy the DNA on contract, you will lose your unlimited data on Verizon. So if you're really gung ho on the phone, you'll have to pay full price. Ouch! But then again, it looks like an amazing phone, so it might be worth the full retail price.

2 - HTC is not so great about software updates. Adding to the fact that Verizon stymies the developers release schedules, then you have to assume that you will have to wait a long time for updates. But, it's a new phone so you are pretty much guaranteed to get JellyBean and hopefully one or two more updates beyond.

3 - It doesn't sound like you really need the nexus experience. Like Shocky said, you can just add a launcher on any phone and get crazy customizations without worrying about bricking your phone or voiding your warranty.

I hope this helps. Good luck on your search!

 

[jerofld]

Most people have answered your other statements pretty well, so I'll just grab this one:

4. why do manufacturers keep making phones with physical buttons when clearly android (post gingerbread) is meant to use onscreen buttons only.

It's probably due to market research. On screen buttons may not sit well with a manufacturer's targeted market. It doesn't necessarily sit well with everyone. Also, I wouldn't say Android is designed to use on screen buttons only. Android is about choice and customization. People can put onscreen keys on their Galaxy S3s (that have capacitive buttons) with a fairly straight forward mod. IIRC, it's a setting to enable/disable them in some file. If every Android phone was meant to have on screen keys only, I doubt Google would have made it so easy to toggle.