HELP...Nexus, MAXX or iPhone4s?

Saindon23 · Feb 6, 2012

Alright, here's the story.
I currently own a iPhone4, best phone I've ever owned--hands down. But I find myself getting bored with iOS5, and I'm a lover of customization. Thus, I'm coming back to the Android side.

I'm nervous for this switch, because I previously own the first Motorola Droid (P.O.S.) and I'm nervous because I only have 14 days to decide if I should go get the 4s.

So I want the Nexus, wow the elite of the bunch. ICS is gorgeous and I'm a super big tech junkie--therefore I know I will enjoy with ICS has to offer.

But then there's the big ol' Maxx, with the battery life and the possibility of ICS coming soon...wow. But I know how Motorola's phones treated me last time...like S***.

So here it goes, HELP, what do I do? I only have 1 upgrade to burn and either way if the Android I do choose fails me I will be left with no other option but to go to the safety...iPhone4s.

SOMEONE SWAY ME, because right now...I'm thinking the Nexus..?

Kancerstick · Feb 6, 2012

I also had an OG-moto droid. And i totally hated android because of it. But its kind of an unfair comparison in the sense that the OG-droid was soooo underpowered hardware wise, which just turned the entire experience on the phone too...extremely underwhelming. I too also made the choice between the iphone 4s and nexus and all i can say is...Thank god i chose the nexus.

You said it yourself, IOS is painfully boring. My brother has the 4s and i got the nexus. I use his phone from time to time and have nothing to say about it because thats just what it is really... The same sh!t from since..well ever. When my brother picks up my phone and uses it..he says "Wow that is really cool"

The screen size is alone all the reason i needed to choose the nexus.

You say you like customization, well i can tell you this much.... there are tons of new things coming out everyday development wise... I flash / try something new on my phone everyday and I love it.

edit: forgot about the maxx

The galaxy nexus out of the box, is not good with battery. If you plan on getting the galaxy nexus, i feel like it is almost mandatory to root for battery benefits. Kernel enhancements / Undervolting / Underclocking / user mods are all at your disposal to better the battery life. Before rooting, id probably pull 11-12 hours of battery life.. Now after root, 24+ hours.

The maxx on the other hand, if you dont want to mess with your phone and want it to have great battery out the box.. id say this is the best choice. Granted, the battery isnt removable and it is a moto which you hate, and it doesnt have ICS yet. The peace of mind that comes with never having to worry about battery.. Well that seems damn tempting to me.

While the gnex doesnt have a battery as good as the maxx... it honestly gives me what i need, which is a full day of use.

stenzor · Feb 6, 2012

Get the Nexus. It's a solid device.

Saindon23 · Feb 6, 2012

Kancerstick said:
I also had an OG-moto droid. And i totally hated android because of it. But its kind of an unfair comparison in the sense that the OG-droid was soooo underpowered hardware wise, which just turned the entire experience on the phone too...extremely underwhelming. I too also made the choice between the iphone 4s and nexus and all i can say is...Thank god i chose the nexus.

You said it yourself, IOS is painfully boring. My brother has the 4s and i got the nexus. I use his phone from time to time and have nothing to say about it because thats just what it is really... The same sh!t from since..well ever. When my brother picks up my phone and uses it..he says "Wow that is really cool"

The screen size is alone all the reason i needed to choose the nexus.

You say you like customization, well i can tell you this much.... there are tons of new things coming out everyday development wise... I flash / try something new on my phone everyday and I love it.

edit: forgot about the maxx

The galaxy nexus out of the box, is not good with battery. If you plan on getting the galaxy nexus, i feel like it is almost mandatory to root for battery benefits. Kernel enhancements / Undervolting / Underclocking / user mods are all at your disposal to better the battery life. Before rooting, id probably pull 11-12 hours of battery life.. Now after root, 24+ hours.

The maxx on the other hand, if you dont want to mess with your phone and want it to have great battery out the box.. id say this is the best choice. Granted, the battery isnt removable and it is a moto which you hate, and it doesnt have ICS yet. The peace of mind that comes with never having to worry about battery.. Well that seems damn tempting to me.

While the gnex doesnt have a battery as good as the maxx... it honestly gives me what i need, which is a full day of use.

Well put, thank you very much. I couldn't agree more with what you said. Now granted I haven't been to the Android side in a long time, was the root 'risky' for you?
Again, I haven't done my research on the rooting of the nexus, if you can, enlighten me.

But overall, well put thanks again.

Saindon23 · Feb 6, 2012

stenzor said:
Get the Nexus. It's a solid device.

Sounds good, thanks for your input!

snapcase · Feb 6, 2012

I used the Droid before I upgraded to the Galaxy Nexus, and still love my Droid. Dunno what kind of problems you ran into that made you hate android in general. Honestly, based on my experience with the Droid (one of the best phones I've owned), you might be better off sticking to the iphone. With all the upgrades and all the changes since the Droid was the leader of the pack, it's still android. Still has the same feel, with a lot of the same benefits and problems as before. I love it, and recommend it to folks I know personally. But it sounds like it might just not be your bag.

The Galaxy Nexus is a snap to root. I rooted mine, and it was a cinch. I just did a bunch of reading (more than I honestly had to), and used some apps that streamlined the process. I'm just using the stock Kernel/ROM for now, but there are plenty of other benefits that make me glad I rooted. There's really not much of any risk involved at all if you follow the instructions step for step. And even if you royally screw up, it can be recovered 99% of the time. Check the All Things Root forum for specifics (go to the vzw one if you're planning on getting that one).

All in all the Galaxy Nexus is a great phone, and I'm satisfied with my upgrade. Though I am anxious for the updates to start rolling to see what new stuff and what fixes they bring.

Tim K · Feb 6, 2012

I think the GN is a no brainer. ICS is great but battery life can be an issue. However, I believe you can tweak your settings to improve it without rooting and running custom ROMS....at least until the next software update gets released and presumably fixes the problems. As for the Razr, just using my wife's for a few minutes makes me so angry. It is so loaded with crapware, and much of it you can't even remove through rooting because its so tied into the function of the device.... I wouldn't touch it unless you planned on immediately rooting a running a custom ROM. Also, don't hold your breath for ICS coming to the Razr any time soon. I bet you don't see that before April or May.

Dicknish · Feb 6, 2012

iphone 4s....smh

Crashumbc · Feb 6, 2012

It would depend on what type of person you are.

Personally I love my Nexus and wouldn't trade it for anything. But be aware it IS a "developer" phone and the first phone with ICS. What does that mean? Well, not everything is "perfect" some apps have bugs or haven't been upgraded to be compatible. the OS does have a few missing features some folks look for. There's the occasional glitch.

Ask yourself, are you the type that wants everything perfect and to "just work" then your a Iphone person.

Do you enjoy trying new things? willing to work around the occasional issue? look up things on the web? Then you are a GN person

macprv · Feb 6, 2012

ive been using android since the G1 came out, and i think ive used all of the android versions, but after using ICS, i can tell you, it feels like something totally different from previous versions :eek:

as for the hardware.. well, i have the GSM version of the galaxy nexus, and it is awesome.. but ive seen complain about the battery for the verizon version.. so if thats not an issue for you, i would recommend you the Gnexus

Chaco · Feb 6, 2012

i will give my opinion and while i am no expert, i think i can give a solid suggestion for your dilemma...

i am a very big techie, i like to have the best, i want something that looks good and performs good. i want it to last me the two years i am commiting with. currently i own a Motorola Droid, a Samsung Galaxy S(captivate), HTC EVO 4G and Asus Transformer

On the Droid and Galaxy S i am running CyanogenMod 7.1.... custom ROM, over clocked, all settings setup for performance. My Asus is rooted and my HTC has Ice Cream Sandwhich in it. So by no means i have stock as i like this phones to meet MY NEEDS and be performers.

I will also agree that you shouldnt judge Android based on your old Droid experience. my son uses the Droid with CM7 and even i find it a little under powered. but for his needs to see videos, music and web browsing, its just fine. I have played with Iphones and while i think the 4S looks sexy (it does) it just doesnt really do what i want it to do. i want it to look awesome, and meet my needs, and i have yet to feel that way. i feel like im told what to do. Iphone = eliminated.
as far as the maxx or the nexus... a supervisor that sits next to me has it and i have played with it.. and yes battery is great (hopefully now all manufactures start to follow suit as far as capacity of batteries go) so i like it, BUT it doesnt have ICS and its just not the phone it was supposed to be, its the phone that it was made to be for release. no removable battery its a big killer for me... BIG BIG one! i like the kevlar look and the water resistant coating, so that makes the phone sexy

as far as the nexus, i feel it meets all the criteria for me, except two. NO SD card and no Corning glass. ughh.... but it has everything else going for it. plenty storage inside, FREAKING BEAUTIFUL screen!!!! (if you havent seen it, just go see a working model), nice curves and surprisingly light. no bloatware as its a pure google experience and its going to have more support out there and would get updates a little faster than others. they already sell 2100mah batteries for it without adding bulk and unlike others, i do think it feels solid and well made.

anyways, my choice is the GNex ( as it will be my next phone since i have already asked myself this question you have)

stenzor · Feb 6, 2012

I was sad by the fact that there wasn't SD card support on the GN as well (having come from a SGS2), but then I realized that I don't need it anyways.. all my music is on Google Music's servers, and if I really want to watch videos I can fit a couple on there to last me a day. If I want to go on a trip, I can just put all my movies on a USB stick and watch them from that.

Saindon23 · Feb 6, 2012

snapcase said:
I used the Droid before I upgraded to the Galaxy Nexus, and still love my Droid. Dunno what kind of problems you ran into that made you hate android in general. Honestly, based on my experience with the Droid (one of the best phones I've owned), you might be better off sticking to the iphone. With all the upgrades and all the changes since the Droid was the leader of the pack, it's still android. Still has the same feel, with a lot of the same benefits and problems as before. I love it, and recommend it to folks I know personally. But it sounds like it might just not be your bag.

The Galaxy Nexus is a snap to root. I rooted mine, and it was a cinch. I just did a bunch of reading (more than I honestly had to), and used some apps that streamlined the process. I'm just using the stock Kernel/ROM for now, but there are plenty of other benefits that make me glad I rooted. There's really not much of any risk involved at all if you follow the instructions step for step. And even if you royally screw up, it can be recovered 99% of the time. Check the All Things Root forum for specifics (go to the vzw one if you're planning on getting that one).

All in all the Galaxy Nexus is a great phone, and I'm satisfied with my upgrade. Though I am anxious for the updates to start rolling to see what new stuff and what fixes they bring.

Well I don't want you to be under the impression that I didn't like android, because I did. I just hated the Motorola brand, I went through 9 replacement droids due to errors dealing directly with the device. Thanks for the input though.

Tim K · Feb 6, 2012

Saindon23 said:
Well I don't want you to be under the impression that I didn't like android, because I did. I just hated the Motorola brand, I went through 9 replacement droids due to errors dealing directly with the device. Thanks for the input though.

I only went through 6 Droids. You got me beat. I think the problem had less to do with Motorola and more to do with whoever was doing the "reconditioning". I got the impression that they just reboxed all the returns and sent them right back out untested. I got a replacement where the earpiece didn't work at all and another that was all dented. How does that get missed if you are actually testing devices?

Anyway, the GN is a flagship device and I don't think Google is about to let it suffer through any extended period of time with real flaws. I expect bugs to be fixed quickly on this device and for updates to come out in a timely fashion. That is just not something you can expect from a non-nexus device. How long will it take Motorola to rape ICS with motoblah? April? May?

zebug · Feb 7, 2012

Posting on the gnex forum a question like that...of course most will be sing to get the nexus. Post the same question on an iphone forum and everyone will tell you to get that. Bottom line, it's up to you. If you are truly a tech nerd then nexus is for you.

s.m.knipe · Feb 7, 2012

Tim K said:
Anyway, the GN is a flagship device and I don't think Google is about to let it suffer through any extended period of time with real flaws. I expect bugs to be fixed quickly on this device and for updates to come out in a timely fashion. That is just not something you can expect from a non-nexus device. How long will it take Motorola to rape ICS with motoblah? April? May?

This

Breakout98 · Feb 7, 2012

Was wondering which ROM do you use to get 24hrs battery life.

Thanks

Tim K · Feb 8, 2012

I use the stock ROM and could go 24hrs if I needed to. Yesterday I had 25% left at 10pm when I put it back on the charger. The streaming used about 25% of my battery so without that I'd be better off. Normally I am still in the upper 30% to lower 40% range after about 15 hrs with 2hrs screen on (10%).

Yesterday:
14hrs unplugged
2hrs screen on
1+hrs streaming Sirius radio
20+ min talk time
3hrs on 3g-4g / 11hrs on Wifi

dhworph · Feb 8, 2012

Galaxy Nexus. There are many battery options, such as (1) extended battery, (2) extra battery or more, or (3) external battery pack --- I've seen them up to 11000mAh, woah!

I'm leaning towards an external battery pack for plane rides, but I'm still stock and am never far from a charger - and one charge it lasts me all day with normal use.

Saindon23 · Feb 9, 2012

Well people, I got the GNEX...am I happy? YES! I love ICS and the beauty it brings and the advancement and I don't seem to get bored playing with this. BUT, and I mean BUT, the battery life is killing me. I bought an extended battery and I can only get about 5 hours on it, and I'm trying my damdest to not be on it so much so I can see how much I'm truly getting.

Not that the iPhone was super better, but I lasted a day+ on that thing....I'm hoping I don't change my mind on this Nexus within my 14 days, that iPhone as sad as this is, but it's tempting to go back.

Shachren · Feb 9, 2012

I just came off an iPhone 4 for the galaxy nexus. I'm so thrilled by this phone that im actually arranging to sell the iphone right now. Go for the nexus, you won't regret it.

Tim K · Feb 9, 2012

Saindon23 said:
Well people, I got the GNEX...am I happy? YES! I love ICS and the beauty it brings and the advancement and I don't seem to get bored playing with this. BUT, and I mean BUT, the battery life is killing me. I bought an extended battery and I can only get about 5 hours on it, and I'm trying my damdest to not be on it so much so I can see how much I'm truly getting.

Not that the iPhone was super better, but I lasted a day+ on that thing....I'm hoping I don't change my mind on this Nexus within my 14 days, that iPhone as sad as this is, but it's tempting to go back.

Well, screen usage is the biggest drain....and if you are normal like the rest of us, you've been on that thing non stop. When the newness wears off, your battery life will improve.

You will probably get a lot of stories about how awful it is. But don't worry about it. There are 2 critical things to remember.

1. This thing has a HUGE screen. Big screens use a lot of juice....especially when you can't keep from looking at it. Keep the brightness dialed down for best results. I wouldn't go any higher than 30% and I keep it at 10% which is fine except in direct sunlight.

2. 4G chews up battery. Don't let anyone tell you any different. Its a fact. Until phones start coming with hybrid 3G/4G chips, the bottom line is 4G uses more power even though its supposed to be more efficient. Keep in mind these are still essentially 1st generation. If you don't need the speed and value battery life, consider using 3G. Also, ALWAYS use WIFI whenever possible. Wifi uses far less juice.

Finally, there are some bugs that are causing drain for a lot of users. Personally, I have found that turning off unnecessary sync services has addressed most of those problems. Google+, photos, and separately google backup were problems for me. I only sync gmail, contacts, calendar and browser. Things like twitter and facebook I have no need to constantly see updates (well, I quit facebook actually) so they are not set to sync.

Personally, with those tweaks I typically unplug the phone around 8am at 100% (well 99% technically most days).
I use about 2hrs of screen on time (which is a major factor in battery life)
Maybe 20 minutes of voice calls (don't forget phone calls use lots of juice)
80-90% of the day on wifi

at 11pm when I plug back in I am usually still over 30% on the battery. More if I don't stream anything on Sirius or Google music.

I am rooted, but stock kernel, stock rom.

jinwons · Feb 9, 2012

Saindon23 said:
Well people, I got the GNEX...am I happy? YES! I love ICS and the beauty it brings and the advancement and I don't seem to get bored playing with this. BUT, and I mean BUT, the battery life is killing me. I bought an extended battery and I can only get about 5 hours on it, and I'm trying my damdest to not be on it so much so I can see how much I'm truly getting.

Not that the iPhone was super better, but I lasted a day+ on that thing....I'm hoping I don't change my mind on this Nexus within my 14 days, that iPhone as sad as this is, but it's tempting to go back.

You got great tips from Tim K that I agree mostly.
I would add that you need to go through three full recharge cycles before seeing better battery life. It won't be very good for first a few days. And if you are not fond of disabling, reducing things to conserve power, just carry the charger or external battery pack. I personally got 8400mAh Anker battery pack and this solves any battery concern.

pm1066 · Feb 9, 2012

I'd really ask this question on the Razr forum as well. Of course it will be biased, but certainly no less than asking Gnex owners what to pick.

For all the bitching about how terrible Moto is, note they have released two updates already that significantly improve 3g/4g handoff and battery life. Also note blur these days is hardly obtrusive like it was, anyone who tells you otherwise is blind and blowing smoke up your skirt.

I need a phone that connects and has battery life, not a developer lab to play with. Gnex was not for me.

Sandroidfan · Feb 9, 2012

pm1066 said:
I'd really ask this question on the Razr forum as well. Of course it will be biased, but certainly no less than asking Gnex owners what to pick.

Good all the bitching about how terrible Moto is, note they have released two updates already that significantly improve 3g/4g handoff and battery life. Also note blur these days is hardly obtrusive like it was, anyone who tells you otherwise is bound and blowing smoke up your skirt.

I need a phone that connects and has battery life, not a developer lab to play with. Gnex was not for me.

Too late, he already went with Gnex.

Nexus is normal smart-phone for me just like any other, not developer phone. And I don't have any connection issue as well as many happy others who don't bother to chime in. With that said, I would have gone with Razr if verizon didn't get Gnex. Both is good phone to me.

HELP...Nexus, MAXX or iPhone4s?

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