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My unbiased experience on the Nexus

I don't love any electronic device. I don't love any device manufacturer or carrier.

I am not blinded by the pre release hype, or new toy effect.

To start, I miss the dedicated camera button, I have a work around using Go launcher, I have it set to launch the camera when I swipe up on the home screen, great feature.

Data connection problems: I am not having any. I get a strong 4G signal. I even get 4G most of the day when I'm in my office where I typically get a horrible signal.

Transferring files over USB: I moved the contents of the SD card from my Droid X to my PC, then from my PC to the Nexus with absolutely no issues.

Battery life: I'm the type of person that doesn't expect great battery life out of any smartphone. The way I see it, a smartphone is a small computer, I don't expect my laptop to last all day so I don't expect my smartphone to last all day either. I charge my phone often.

Camera: I think the shutter is too fast to take clear pictures. Yes, I touched the screen to focus. However, a small child or an active animal will not sit still long enough for me to start the camera, touch to focus, then take the pic.

Web browsing: I realized that the Nexus doesn't play well with google.com. I like customizing my Google homepage with a background pic. The Nexus cannot select a pic for changing the background, and if I set the background pic on my PC the Nexus can't display the page correctly. The search bar is hidden as well as all of the settings tabs across the top. A Google phone that can't use all of the features of google.com.

Voice dialing: Voice dialing on the Droid X was great, on the Nexus, not so much. If I use the phone itself, I have to speak relatively quietly in order for it to understand. If I use a BT headset, it is just awful. It doesn't understand at all and it doesn't prompt for verification, it just dials. The worst part is there are no settings to force prompting, and no voice adaptation.

Call quality: For me, this is been just fine. It is just as clear as any other cell phone I've used. I had one drop but that was in my office where no one there that has Verizon gets the greatest signal.

Screen: The screen is beautiful, until you start watching a movie with black in the background. Then you get some weird blue patches going off on top of the black background.

Speaker sound: I don't really have an issue with the speaker. I did initially when I watched a youtube video and the sound was fairly quiet. I watched a different video and the sound was fine. When I receive a phone call the ringer is loud enough to where I have turned down the volume.

Unlike what I read from others, I'm not going to guarantee these things will be fixed with software updates, why, because I don't work for Google's development team so I don't know if they will or even can be fixed with software.

I hope these things will be fixed, but they won't be fixed before my 14 day return period is over.

Comments

nectar4bc

Agreed to pretty much all of your review but my signal reading does seem to be quite low.

Reason I'm writing is wondering if you can help with a big issue I'm having:

I'm a long time Google Voice user, first time I'm having issue verifying a device and this one is the Galaxy Nexus! Google Voice works (sms) on my Galaxy Nexus however calls to my Google Voice number do not ring on my Galaxy Nexus. From the computer I try to verify the Galaxy Nexus but it never rings when called with GVoice number. Only the Verizon number rings. I've tried uninstalling Google Voice on GN and verify from computer first but it doesn't work. What I have noticed is from Gvoice on the computer it automatically assumes my GN is a "Gizmo" vs. a "mobile" (not sure if that means anything).

Additional Attempted Solutions

Temporary call forwarding - This didn't work. I dialed from the number and had it added to temporary call forwarding. But when I tried calling my GV number the mobile (Verizon Galaxy Nexus) never rang. I also checked on GV on the computer and the phone shows up again as a "gizmo" and says it must be verified, when I click "verify now" it keeps trying to connect but my mobile never rings.

Use Different Computers and Internet providers and mobile on different towers - This didn't work.

Call Screening was always set to OFF - This didn't work. Anything else I can do?

This is so frustrating because I set up a friends Galaxy Nexus and it worked fine. The only difference was on the other Galaxy Nexus we didn't install GV on the mobile yet. Setup the call forwarding on GV from the computer first. Please Help ASAP this is EXTREMELY frustrating!

Tidbits

pool_shark wrote:
I don't love any electronic device. I don't love any device manufacturer or carrier.
I am not blinded by the pre release hype, or new toy effect.

To start, I miss the dedicated camera button, I have a work around using Go launcher, I have it set to launch the camera when I swipe up on the home screen, great feature.

Data connection problems: I am not having any. I get a strong 4G signal. I even get 4G most of the day when I'm in my office where I typically get a horrible signal.
I believe this is tower specific, more than the device itself. Not all towers use the same parts.
Transferring files over USB: I moved the contents of the SD card from my Droid X to my PC, then from my PC to the Nexus with absolutely no issues.
I had a faulty cable with both my GSM and LTE version... Go figure... When I changed the cable with a different one all was fine for me.
Battery life: I'm the type of person that doesn't expect great battery life out of any smartphone. The way I see it, a smartphone is a small computer, I don't expect my laptop to last all day so I don't expect my smartphone to last all day either. I charge my phone often.
you'd hate to see my screenshots 10 hours and 43% battery left lol. I feel you though I honestly wasn't expecting stelar battery life. If you use a lot of background data I wouldn't expect more than 5-6 hours tops. People think they are light users but fail to realize background data DOES keep the phone for sleeping long periods of time.
Camera: I think the shutter is too fast to take clear pictures. Yes, I touched the screen to focus. However, a small child or an active animal will not sit still long enough for me to start the camera, touch to focus, then take the pic.
Speaking of which... I just take 40+ pictures lol I pick the best one which usually about 12-15 of them are pretty good.
Web browsing: I realized that the Nexus doesn't play well with google.com. I like customizing my Google homepage with a background pic. The Nexus cannot select a pic for changing the background, and if I set the background pic on my PC the Nexus can't display the page correctly. The search bar is hidden as well as all of the settings tabs across the top. A Google phone that can't use all of the features of google.com.
Are you talking about www.iGoogle.com or something like that? I wouldn't expect that to work 100%. Current browsers don't support all of the html5 right now. Eventually it'll probably get better.
Voice dialing: Voice dialing on the Droid X was great, on the Nexus, not so much. If I use the phone itself, I have to speak relatively quietly in order for it to understand. If I use a BT headset, it is just awful. It doesn't understand at all and it doesn't prompt for verification, it just dials. The worst part is there are no settings to force prompting, and no voice adaptation.
HANDS DOWN MOTOROLA MAKES THE BEST VOICE DIALING out of ALL manufacturers. Close second is Apple with their iPhone. Siri still needs some work though. That's one of the reasons why my last few devices before the Nexus were Motorola. I DISLIKE their updating, and locking the bootloader. If they'd allow me to unlock the device I wouldn't have left the Droid 3 and waited for the Droid 4.
Call quality: For me, this is been just fine. It is just as clear as any other cell phone I've used. I had one drop but that was in my office where no one there that has Verizon gets the greatest signal.
I can't really say personally I use a BT headset. I just don't like taking my phone out of my pocket especially when I am working.
Screen: The screen is beautiful, until you start watching a movie with black in the background. Then you get some weird blue patches going off on top of the black background.
Everyone works for me... I prefer "True" color over "Vibrant" color. iPhone hands down I like better. I didn't buy the Nexus for the screen.
Speaker sound: I don't really have an issue with the speaker. I did initially when I watched a youtube video and the sound was fairly quiet. I watched a different video and the sound was fine. When I receive a phone call the ringer is loud enough to where I have turned down the volume.
Same as call Quality I always use a BT headset so I don't bother with it.
Unlike what I read from others, I'm not going to guarantee these things will be fixed with software updates, why, because I don't work for Google's development team so I don't know if they will or even can be fixed with software.
I hope these things will be fixed, but they won't be fixed before my 14 day return period is over.
Well it's sometime soon 4.0.3 should be rolling out. I find it odd though.... 4.0.3 is rolling out on the Nexus S 4G, and not the Galaxy Nexus or the Nexus S. So I am assuming due to corrupting secure elements tied with Google Wallet and switching batteries(doesn't happen all the time, but the severity is unknown) that they'd want to test it on a "Official" device that has Wallet.

pool_shark

nectar4bc wrote:

Agreed to pretty much all of your review but my signal reading does seem to be quite low.

Reason I'm writing is wondering if you can help with a big issue I'm having:

I'm a long time Google Voice user, first time I'm having issue verifying a device and this one is the Galaxy Nexus! Google Voice works (sms) on my Galaxy Nexus however calls to my Google Voice number do not ring on my Galaxy Nexus. From the computer I try to verify the Galaxy Nexus but it never rings when called with GVoice number. Only the Verizon number rings. I've tried uninstalling Google Voice on GN and verify from computer first but it doesn't work. What I have noticed is from Gvoice on the computer it automatically assumes my GN is a "Gizmo" vs. a "mobile" (not sure if that means anything).

Additional Attempted Solutions

Temporary call forwarding - This didn't work. I dialed from the number and had it added to temporary call forwarding. But when I tried calling my GV number the mobile (Verizon Galaxy Nexus) never rang. I also checked on GV on the computer and the phone shows up again as a "gizmo" and says it must be verified, when I click "verify now" it keeps trying to connect but my mobile never rings.

Use Different Computers and Internet providers and mobile on different towers - This didn't work.

Call Screening was always set to OFF - This didn't work. Anything else I can do?

This is so frustrating because I set up a friends Galaxy Nexus and it worked fine. The only difference was on the other Galaxy Nexus we didn't install GV on the mobile yet. Setup the call forwarding on GV from the computer first. Please Help ASAP this is EXTREMELY frustrating!

Sorry but I cannot assist you with this problem because I do not use Google Voice. Perhaps a Verizon rep can chime in and help you.

pool_shark

Tidbits wrote:
pool_shark wrote:
I don't love any electronic device. I don't love any device manufacturer or carrier.
I am not blinded by the pre release hype, or new toy effect.

To start, I miss the dedicated camera button, I have a work around using Go launcher, I have it set to launch the camera when I swipe up on the home screen, great feature.

Data connection problems: I am not having any. I get a strong 4G signal. I even get 4G most of the day when I'm in my office where I typically get a horrible signal.
I believe this is tower specific, more than the device itself. Not all towers use the same parts.
Transferring files over USB: I moved the contents of the SD card from my Droid X to my PC, then from my PC to the Nexus with absolutely no issues.
I had a faulty cable with both my GSM and LTE version... Go figure... When I changed the cable with a different one all was fine for me.
Battery life: I'm the type of person that doesn't expect great battery life out of any smartphone. The way I see it, a smartphone is a small computer, I don't expect my laptop to last all day so I don't expect my smartphone to last all day either. I charge my phone often.
you'd hate to see my screenshots 10 hours and 43% battery left lol. I feel you though I honestly wasn't expecting stelar battery life. If you use a lot of background data I wouldn't expect more than 5-6 hours tops. People think they are light users but fail to realize background data DOES keep the phone for sleeping long periods of time.
Camera: I think the shutter is too fast to take clear pictures. Yes, I touched the screen to focus. However, a small child or an active animal will not sit still long enough for me to start the camera, touch to focus, then take the pic.
Speaking of which... I just take 40+ pictures lol I pick the best one which usually about 12-15 of them are pretty good.
Web browsing: I realized that the Nexus doesn't play well with google.com. I like customizing my Google homepage with a background pic. The Nexus cannot select a pic for changing the background, and if I set the background pic on my PC the Nexus can't display the page correctly. The search bar is hidden as well as all of the settings tabs across the top. A Google phone that can't use all of the features of google.com.
Are you talking about www.iGoogle.com or something like that? I wouldn't expect that to work 100%. Current browsers don't support all of the html5 right now. Eventually it'll probably get better.
Voice dialing: Voice dialing on the Droid X was great, on the Nexus, not so much. If I use the phone itself, I have to speak relatively quietly in order for it to understand. If I use a BT headset, it is just awful. It doesn't understand at all and it doesn't prompt for verification, it just dials. The worst part is there are no settings to force prompting, and no voice adaptation.
HANDS DOWN MOTOROLA MAKES THE BEST VOICE DIALING out of ALL manufacturers. Close second is Apple with their iPhone. Siri still needs some work though. That's one of the reasons why my last few devices before the Nexus were Motorola. I DISLIKE their updating, and locking the bootloader. If they'd allow me to unlock the device I wouldn't have left the Droid 3 and waited for the Droid 4.
Call quality: For me, this is been just fine. It is just as clear as any other cell phone I've used. I had one drop but that was in my office where no one there that has Verizon gets the greatest signal.
I can't really say personally I use a BT headset. I just don't like taking my phone out of my pocket especially when I am working.
Screen: The screen is beautiful, until you start watching a movie with black in the background. Then you get some weird blue patches going off on top of the black background.
Everyone works for me... I prefer "True" color over "Vibrant" color. iPhone hands down I like better. I didn't buy the Nexus for the screen.
Speaker sound: I don't really have an issue with the speaker. I did initially when I watched a youtube video and the sound was fairly quiet. I watched a different video and the sound was fine. When I receive a phone call the ringer is loud enough to where I have turned down the volume.
Same as call Quality I always use a BT headset so I don't bother with it.
Unlike what I read from others, I'm not going to guarantee these things will be fixed with software updates, why, because I don't work for Google's development team so I don't know if they will or even can be fixed with software.
I hope these things will be fixed, but they won't be fixed before my 14 day return period is over.
Well it's sometime soon 4.0.3 should be rolling out. I find it odd though.... 4.0.3 is rolling out on the Nexus S 4G, and not the Galaxy Nexus or the Nexus S. So I am assuming due to corrupting secure elements tied with Google Wallet and switching batteries(doesn't happen all the time, but the severity is unknown) that they'd want to test it on a "Official" device that has Wallet.

Battery life:

I know you were joking saying I would hate that you get great battery life, but of course it wouldn't bother me a bit. I have no idea what type of battery life I could get because I work with computers and I am able to charge mine phone whenever I want.

It does make me laugh when people complain about smartphone battery life though.

Camera:

I have installed camerazoom FX. It has auto focus and when set to infinity, it's focuses relatively fast. I was using Vignette on my Droid X but it doesn't work with ICS and the developers have disappeared.

Web Browsing:

I am not talking about igoogle, I am talking about gmail.com and google.com in desktop mode. I have determined it is a javascript problem on the Nexus and submitted a bug report to Google.

Voice dialing:

I agree with you about Motorola's voice dialing. I previously stayed away from Samsung devices because of their GPS issues, but decided to take a chance on the Nexus. If they would at least add voice adaptation I'm sure it would help.

Call quality:

I always use BT also, but that isn't the issue others are reporting. They are saying the other party sounds muffled as if the signal isn't clear and they are saying the other party can't hear them very well.

Speaker sound:

Sometimes I'll play a video for someone else to watch, I use the speaker for that. I don't want anyone else using my ear piece.

21stNow

Tidbits, my Nexus S (T-Mobile) has Android 4.0.3, and has had it for over a week.

Tidbits

Not all tmobile versions have it. It was delayed for some reason. People just installed the zip manually.

21stNow

There was an OTA for this update, but Google paused it to see how it was performing. I got mine OTA, I didn't manually install this.

Tidbits

I had to.manually do mine to get it sadly. I assume more than likely all Nexus Devices(except the One) will get it sometime starting next month.

Tidbits

@Pool_shark I am hoping with the acquisition of Motorola that Google will use Motorolas Voice dialing as default and build from there. Almost every device for Android uses Googles default Voice Dialing. Motorola is thr only company that uses their own that I know of.(never owned a pantech, kaesora, or LG Android device).
I use FX as well. Vingette is primarily working on the iOS version over Android version due to user demand and profit. They are around just not at the capacity most would like.
I never use the desktop google stuff. I just use the app and hense why i never noticed.
With call quality it could be other factors and things may need to be adjusted. People were crying that Verizon was "delaying" the Nexus. This could be one of the reasons. We will never know why the delay really happened unless front office says something.
As for the speaker. I just use BT if someone else wants to listen they can get their own phone lol I am kidding. Usually my daughter just uses one of my deactivated phones while on road trips. She is like the only person that ever wants to use my phones. I guess I luck out.

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