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Jumped the Razr ship and landed safely in Nexus waters!!!

redraptor

Android Enthusiast
Sep 6, 2010
744
90
35
Much too far from the waves
Hey all!

Ok well as some of you may (or may not know) I have been lurking the forums and debating weather to return my Razr in exchange for the Nexus. Well I finally did!!! I honestly thought the Razr was an AWESOME phone and would recommend it to almost anyone, but I wanted something that was a bit more future proof and something I know would be backed longer than the Razr. Plus I can feel comfortable flashing and hacking without any SIGNIFICANT repercussions. Although im gonna keep it stock for the first month or so, just to get a feel for the device.

The camera and network issues are what scare me the most though. I do live in a VERY strong 4G area so im not to concerned about losing signal anytime, but I do hope an update helps with over all connectivity and its not a hardware issue. Im hopeful. The camera seems to be on the same level as the Razr minus the 3 mega pickles which is good and bad. Its good because I know numbers are essentially pointless when it comes to cameras, and its bad because its not the best around. Although I expect the camera to work best in well lit areas, just like my old fascinate's camera. And I regard that as the best camera on a phone that I have owned.

So anyway I have a few questions. Number one is facebook integration. On gingerbread I was able to sync my contacts and information directly from facebook. I cant seem to get it to work. I go to accounts and sync and it gives me the option to add facebook as an account, but it never does. Nor am I treated to any options on how much syncing. I am able to get into the facebook app, but no contact information is displayed. So what do I do?

Next: I use volume+ and it does a decent job increasing the sound, but is the pro version worth the extra money. I dont mean to seem stingy but if it only increased it a SMALL amount, I can live with the free version.

I loved the Moto stock music player. It did an awesome job of syncing up well with last.FM and even had lyrics that played along with the song. Is there a good aftermarket application that is similar to this? I used to use player pro, and I LOVE that application but Ive grown rather fond of last.fm and the lyrics.

And lastly: I am a BIG camera guy so the stock camera is slightly diappointing. But I knew that going in. I hear people say that other camera applications can help mask some of the imperfections and even make the shots look down right stunning. Is there a specific app that is recommended or preferred?

Ive been loving on android for a little over a year now, and LOVE the OS. ICS is a big step foward and I see good things for both android and the Galaxy Nexus. I just hope Verizon, or atleast the community keep up with the backing of the device and make it a phone that I will love for the next 2 years!!!

Oh one other thing: Is there a way to force android into landscape mode or car dock mode? Having landscape mode while using the car dock would be AMAZINGLY helpful.
 
And lastly: I am a BIG camera guy so the stock camera is slightly disappointing. But I knew that going in. I hear people say that other camera applications can help mask some of the imperfections and even make the shots look down right stunning. Is there a specific app that is recommended or preferred?

Welcome to Nexus Land, Raptor!

I can heartily recommend HDR Camera+. It nearly doubled the resolution of my images, made them sharper, brighter and better. Doesn't have "zero shutter lag" like stock, because it takes awhile to process the images. It also does not do video, so stick with stock for that. If you're not in a hurry between shots, I recommend it highly. It was 0.99 for the New Year, but it's back to its regular price of $3.99 now and well worth it.

Buy it, take a few comparison shots between HDR+ and the stock camera, and refund it if you don't find it much better. I don't think you'll refund it, though :)
 
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I know you said you wanted to keep it stock for a while to get used to it. My one suggestion is to just unlock the bootloader right away. You are going to have to do it eventually to Root and ROM, and it does a factory wipe and reset when you unlock it.....so its better to do it up front before you go to all the trouble of setting up your screens and installing all your apps.
 
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Hmmm great ideas guys! Want to get the pro version of hdr camera almost specifically for the flash control(I HATE flash) but 4 bucks is just too rich for me right now. Any suggestions on another music player or how to force landscape?

Thank you all again!

For the landscape issue, look for Nova Launcher, there are a couple threads here for it, its a stock looking launcher with a lot more options, including screen rotate.
 
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